August 15, (THEWILL) – Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, has stated that his team is not prepared for the start of the English Premier League season, which begins on Friday. The Dutch coach hopes new signings Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui will adapt quickly to the team.
United will host Fulham in their opening match of the English top-flight campaign. Ten Hag needs a strong start after finishing eighth last season, with their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City in May believed to have saved his job.
The club has invested heavily in the transfer market, bringing in De Ligt and Mazraoui from Bayern Munich this week, following the earlier acquisitions of Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee. However, injuries have hampered United’s pre-season preparations, with Yoro, Rasmus Hojlund, and Luke Shaw all currently sidelined.
Despite these setbacks, Ten Hag remains focused on the available players. He confirmed that De Ligt and Mazraoui, both of whom played under him at Ajax, will be in the squad for the Fulham match. The manager acknowledged that while the team may not be at full strength, they have a strong group to select from.
United showed promise in last weekend’s Community Shield match against Manchester City, with Alejandro Garnacho scoring in a 1-1 draw before losing on penalties. Ten Hag recognises that many players are still short of match fitness due to late returns from international duties, but expects the team to improve with each game.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
