Injuries have not helped Erik ten Hag as his side have struggled so far this campaign. Photo: Shutterstock/Pater Powell
Manchester United have launched an investigation into their first team injury crisis and have cited it as a major factor in their torrid start to the season.
Erik ten Hag has been out for the season already as many as 16 senior players at various stages.
The United manager is currently missing eight players from his squad, including all of his best defense in Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Raphael Varane and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
This meant that Ten Hag, who had received staunch public support from the United management, was unable to select his first squad for the season at all.
United believe the situation played a role in their struggles, so far , as the club currently sits 10th in the Premier League and already faces a tough battle to qualify from the Champions League group after losing their first two matches.
The club has now launched an internal investigation to determine why so many players have been injured and to establish whether there are any patterns that require a change in their approach to improve injury prevention in the future.
Lisandro Martinez is set to undergo knee surgery and will not be seen again anytime soon. Photo: Getty Images/Geert van Ervan
The highly respected Gary O'Driscoll took up his new role as head of sports medicine at Old Trafford last month after 14 years at Arsenal and United. encountered similar problems.
Like United, rivals Manchester City have also suffered a number of injuries to key players, including Kevin De Bruyne, who is unsure of playing against them this year and this is not considered a coincidence. that both clubs played the most matches for the Premier League teams last year.
United, for example, only played 41 games from December 21 to the end of the season, the same number as Aston Villa, Brentford and Brighton played throughout the campaign.
In total, Ten Hag's team played 62 matches. matches in a season where they also had 15 representatives at the Winter World Cup in Qatar.
“We are also looking at why we have so many injuries to see if there are any patterns to improve prevention in future,” John Murtaugh, United's director of football, said at the club's latest fans' forum on Tuesday.
“Some of them were impact injuries, like Kobby [Mainoo] and Amad [Diallo], which are unpredictable. Others were muscular and could reflect the sheer volume of games played over the past year, including last year's World Cup.
“This is certainly an issue that we are aware of and will continue to address through our governing bodies and the ECA The [European Club Association] ensures that player welfare is taken into account when discussing the football calendar.
“We work with the governing bodies on the number of games throughout the year to ensure the schedule is sustainable.”
This season will be followed by the European Championships and then the new 32-team FIFA Club World Cup. place at the end of next season, United, like many other leading clubs, fears that the situation could only get worse over the next couple of years.
Pep Guardiola, the City manager, suggested this month that only players can bring about meaningful change, a view the United hierarchy are known to share. Raphael Varane, the United defender currently sidelined with injury, has been a vocal critic of the increasing demands being placed on players but claimed their concerns are not being taken into account by the game's decision-makers.
Raphael Varane is one of many outspoken critics of stadium congestion. Photo: Getty Images/Ash Donelon
Murtaugh said United's injury problems were “much toned down by the mixed results” as he fully backed Ten Hag and expressed confidence the Dutchman would turn things around.
United scored twice in four minutes of stoppage time. It's time to beat Brentford 2-1 last Saturday and Murtaugh hopes that will be the turning point of the season.
“Clearly we have some work to do to get the men's team back to that level , which we are counting on. “but we really have faith in the manager, his team and the players and their ability to build momentum as the season goes on,” Murtough said.
“It was a disappointing start to the men's season, although Saturday saw a dramatic win over Brentford have given us the opportunity to develop after the international break.
“We must now show the same commitment to turn the tide of the season after the international break and I know the manager, players and staff are absolutely determined to do that
“With three quarters of the campaign still to go and four competitions to compete in, it is important that we maintain our faith – both within the club and among the fans. “.
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