Manchester United were without eight senior team players for their win over Luton Town this past weekend, and two more got hurt during the match. Danish duo Rasmus Hojlund and Christian Eriksen both officially withdrew from the national team camp today, and United provided more info on the extent of their injuries.
Hojlund, the striker acquired this summer from Atalanta, has suffered a muscle strain that will keep him out two weeks.
Eriksen, the midfielder signed on a free in the summer of 2022 has a knee injury that will keep him out for at least a month.
With the international break on now, it will certainly provide some relief to the injury. The added time off is certainly very welcome at Old Trafford, as rest and relaxation should help with convalescence.
Given the stated timelines above, Hojlund will miss out on the next match, at Everton, a week from Sunday.
He’ll probably be absent for the next UEFA Champions League clash, against Galatasaray, on Nov. 29. Eriksen would miss all of that, plus December league fixtures against Newcastle, Chelsea and AFC Bournemouth.
Her could return for the UCL clash versus Bayern Munich.
And while United’s season has certainly been far below expectations thus far, they’re actually sitting in sixth place right now.
As much as Ten Hag has been criticized, given all the poor results in 2023, they’re actually ahead of Newcastle United and only three points outside the top four.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.