DEVASTATING NEWS: Coming live from Old Trafford, Erik ten Hag confirms 2 first-team Manchester United stars will miss Brighton clash. United started their 2024-25 league campaign with a 1-0 home win against Fulham on Friday, August 16. New signing Joshua Zirkzee scored an 87th minute winner in that game to secure all three points for United. In a press-conference ahead of the Brighton game, Ten Hag has confirmed that three players will miss the clash. He told the media “zirkzee and Martinez won’t be available for selection against Brighton on Saturday, not out for a long time tho but just little discomfort we don’t want to take any risk we are trying to Manage injury Crisis this season. This is a big setback but we need to do what needs to be done,” Erik ten Hag has confirmed that zirkzee, and Martinez will miss Manchester United’s Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed that Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw, and Rasmus Højlund will miss the Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, August 24. The Red Devils are set to face the Seagulls at the Amex Stadium, with several key players sidelined due to injuries.
United kicked off their 2024-25 league campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Fulham, thanks to an 87th-minute winner from new signing Joshua Zirkzee. However, the team will have to navigate the upcoming Brighton match without some important players.
In a pre-match press conference, Ten Hag provided updates on the squad, confirming the absences of Malacia, Højlund, and Shaw. He stated, “Tyrell Malacia, Rasmus Højlund, they’re not available. Luke Shaw, of course, [is out].”
Malacia has been out since the start of the 2023-24 season due to a knee injury, with Ten Hag recently indicating that the defender is expected to return in a couple of months. Højlund, who picked up a hamstring injury during a pre-season game against Arsenal, is likely to be back by the end of August.
Luke Shaw, who suffered a calf injury during pre-season training, is expected to be sidelined until mid-September. In his absence, Diogo Dalot played as a left-back in the Fulham match, with Noussair Mazraoui featuring as the right-back.
Additionally, Ten Hag mentioned that Victor Lindelof will also miss the Brighton game due to a toe injury. The Swedish center-back missed the previous match against Fulham as well. Ten Hag expressed hope that Lindelof’s injury isn’t severe, saying, “He has an issue with his toe. So, hopefully he can return quickly, but he is not available for the weekend.”
In Lindelof’s absence, Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez started against Fulham, with Matthijs de Ligt coming on as a substitute to make his Manchester United debut. However, United will also be without 18-year-old center-back Leny Yoro, who is sidelined due to an injury sustained in pre-season.
Manchester United face a challenging task against Brighton, especially considering last season’s results. United lost 3-1 to Brighton at Old Trafford but managed a 2-0 win at the Amex in the league. With several key players missing, Ten Hag’s side will need to be at their best to secure a positive result.
