Manager Erik ten Hag suggests that new signings Rasmus Hojlund and Sergio Reguilon may make their Manchester United debuts this weekend against Arsenal.
After reportedly paying £64 million ($82 million) to go from Atalanta to Old Trafford, Denmark attacker Hojlund came in August, but the 20-year-old has not yet made an appearance because of a back ailment.
But according to Ten Hag, Hojlund is healthy to play versus Arsenal on Sunday. Altay Bayindir, the new goalkeeper, and Reguilon, the left-back on loan from Tottenham, will both be available for selection.
“He’ll be available, yes,” Ten Hag said on Friday. “We have the last workout tomorrow since he had an excellent training week. However, he is reacting and doing well, so yes, he will be ready for the game on Sunday.
“I’m thrilled that Bayindir will be joining the team as well, Altay.
“The keeper group is now completely present. With Altay joining us, I believe we have an excellent keeper group since we have covered every position.”
When Ten Hag addressed the media, Reguilon’s acquisition had not yet been formally announced by United. However, the Dutchman answered when asked whether the defender would be playing at the Emirates Stadium, saying, “He is here, he trained.” Yes, he is accessible on Sunday as well.
“Yes, I believe he has a very good background. He’s a very experienced player who has played for big clubs and in a lot of La Liga and Premier League games.”
After Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw suffered injuries, Ten Hag signed Reguilon and made an unsuccessful effort to get Marc Cucurella on loan from Chelsea.
“We are pleased with him despite our issues with Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw, who are both long-term absentees due to injuries. We have seen that he can play really tough football. Thus, I believe we handled that emergency scenario rather effectively,” he said.
In addition to their deadline-day acquisitions of Bayindir and Reguilon, United is purportedly in negotiations with Fiorentina for Sofyan Amrabat.
When questioned about the Morocco midfielder, Ten Hag said, “There are so many rumors but it’s wonderful, eh?
“We have put together a formidable team and are prepared to engage in combat, I believe we have done well in business.”
Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire may now remain at United amid rumors that they were considering departures from Old Trafford.
“Looking at the schedule, it’s really compressed, and it’s tough,” Ten Hag said.
“The World Cup season last year was an insane one; it lasted two weeks longer. We extended our FA Cup final by one week.
“We need numbers since we had a little break and another very compressed preseason. However, we also want high-quality numbers—not just any old figures.
“We are satisfied with this group because it has depth, great players, and adaptability to play in a number of systems.
“We are prepared to engage in combat.”