"Not ready for Fulham" Manchester United Coach, Erik Ten Hag says

In fear that his squad is "not ready" for Friday's Premier League opening against Fulham (20:00 BST), Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has expressed his concerns.

New team members despite arriving on Thursday, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui will be part of the team. Ten Hag faces a difficulty in his selection for the Old Trafford encounter because they haven't had much time to practice with their new teammates.

Defensive player Luke Shaw has been out for three months due to a calf ailment, while striker Rasmus Hojlund has a hamstring issue. New £52 million defender Leny Yoro was also sidelined at the start of August.

Joshua Zirkee, United's other summer acquisition from the Netherlands, might make his debut against Fulham after not being used as a substitute during the Community Shield loss to Manchester City. Ten Hag is faced with a selection dilemma at left-back, as Tyrell Malacia is sidelined for an additional two months due to his ongoing recovery from knee surgery and Shaw is out due to a calf ailment.

While Diogo Dalot and Lisandro Martinez filled in for last Saturday's Community Shield, Mazraoui might be one solution. Ten Hag still hopes to field a potent lineup despite the selection problems. The Dutchman clarified, "It's not about the players who aren't available." 

Shaw has not played for United since February, primarily due to a hamstring injury. Nevertheless, he eventually recovered in time to represent England in the 2024 European Championship. Ten Hag is excited to have Shaw back and is certain he will be well soon.

Ten Hag predicted that he will return soon. It is not time-consuming. "Luke is a very important player for our team so we want to get him back as soon as possible but we can't force this process."