Erik ten Hag plans to replace injured Man Utd star with Jadon Sancho and not new transfer signing Joshua Zirkzee
ERIK TEN HAG INSISTS he can start the season with Jadon Sancho as a false nine.
That is how Sancho has been used on this US Tour after Rasmus Hojlund got injured soon after scoring in the opening game against Arsenal.
Joshua Zirkzee is available after his £36.5million switch from Bologna but Ten Hag appears reticent to start him in the early games of the season while he gets used to his new teammates and the Premier League.
So it’s Sancho.
Ten Hag said: “That is what we can do if we don’t have the availability of Rasmus.
“We know he can play in wide areas, but also as a false striker, he’s an option.
“But of course, Joshua Zirkzee, he is coming in, he has started training.
“But consider that he is not so long in training, so that will take time, and he has to adapt to English football and our way of playing as well.
“So there is also, of course, Jadon, as a striker.”
Sancho has only just been reintegrated the 24-year-old into the squad after the pair fell out and he was loaned to his former club Borussia Dortmund.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
They have since agreed on an uneasy peace. United fans might think that Marcus Rashford is a better option, but he looks back on song again playing from his favoured position out wide on the left.
He said: “I think that Marcus has done it before and he can do it, and it’s definitely an option.
Man Utd pre-season tour squad in full
Goalkeepers: Tom Heaton, Demot Mee, Andre Onana, Radek Vitek.
Defenders: Harry Amass, Rhys Bennett, Jonny Evans,Will Fish, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Sam Murray, Aaron Wan-Bissaka,Leny Yoro.
Midfielders: Casemiro, Toby Collyer, Christian Eriksen, Hannibal, Jack Fletcher, Sam Mather, Scott McTominay, Mason Mount, Maxi Oyedele, James Scanlon.
Forwards: Antony, Amad, Rasmus Hojlund, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Ethan Wheatley.
Reported injured: Tyrell Malacia
Left out: Joshua Zirkzee, Altay Bayindir, Diogo Dalot, Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo, Lisandro Martinez, Facundo Pellistri and Luke Shaw.
“But I think he is most productive from the left, starting wide and coming inside. So when he can arrive there, he is most effective. But we have other options.
“We have Bruno Fernandes who can play as a striker as well.”
It seems incredible that United are starting a season once again with an untested striker in Premier League terms, this time in Zirkzee.
We saw how that worked out with Hojlund in his first season as he struggled to adapt.
United’s final tour game ended in a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool, although Ten Hag was pleased with the chances created.
That is the problem though, there was nobody there to take them.
He said: “We created many chances and I would be concerned if we didn’t create chances. I’m pleased with the way we created chances out of open play but also from good pressing situations and good counter-pressing situations.
“Liverpool played well and took their chances. We also created good chances, but we didn’t take them. We need to be more clinical there and efficient.”
Ten Hag blamed fatigue for the defeat against Liverpool even though it is pre-season and the team was changed with plenty of substitutions during their three games.
He said: “I think in the end it’s like fatigue. We have been here for 12 or 13 days and in the end it was a tough game and maybe you miss the freshness and don’t have the power to be clinical.”
There is still time for United to make moves in the transfer market before the window closes and Ten Hag has confidence in the new management team the club have put together to get something done.
He said: “We hope and we’re always looking.
“We have seen this new leadership team is really eager to do business and to make deals.
“They are on it and if the timing is there and the opportunities are there, they will go forward.”
MAN UTD TRANSFER NEWS LIVE: All the latest deals and rumours from Old Trafford