Erik ten Hag says he has never been able to pick best Manchester United side since becoming manager

Erik ten Hag says he cannot start Manchester United’s best team due to many players being injured. Currently, up to nine key players are unavailable due to injuries. On Wednesday, they will face Bayern Munich in their first Champions League match.

Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, says he can never pick his best team because of inconsistent squad and injuries.

The Dutchman expressed worry about the number of injured players in his squad, with as many as 12 first-team members currently out of action. He made these statements ahead of United’s upcoming match against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

Several players, including Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Sofyan Amrabat, and Mason Mount, are currently injured. Furthermore, the coach has stated that Harry Maguire will not be able to participate in the upcoming Champions League matches due to a complaint. Aaron Wan-Bissaka is also unavailable since the weekend.

Jadon Sancho and Antony are not available for the match due to personal reasons.

United has 21 players in their squad, with four of them being goalkeepers. Ten Hag, on the other hand, could only name five defenders.

“One thing is true, from the start of last season I don’t think I ever started with, in my opinion, the best starting XI,” Ten Hag said. “There was always injuries.

“We always got results apart from the period we are in now. I have experienced it in the past and managed it. You have to deal with it. I like these situations because you have to handle it and know what to do, and that is focusing on the process.”

If Manchester United loses against the six-time European champions, it will intensify the scrutiny on their manager. This is one of the most important matches of the opening week.

Manchester United has lost three out of their first five Premier League matches, including a 3-1 home defeat against Brighton last weekend.

“The doctors are dealing with the problems,” he added. “First of all, injuries always come in top football because we are living on the edge.

“Of course, we analyse why things happen, but we also have to deal with the effects. We have to get the best out of it. We need to make the next step, integrating Rasmus Hojlund and Sergio Reguilon.”

Ten Hag’s belief about their path is why he is not getting thrown off kilter by the negativity heading into United’s first Champions League match in 18 months.

“No, we don’t feel that we need a reset,” the former Bayern Munich reserve boss said. “Absolutely not. We are in a process and what you see is that in parts of games we play very good but then also in parts of games we played below our levels.”