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Despite picking up two wins on the trot, Manchester United cannot afford to take their foot off the pedal with the fixtures set to come thick and fast.
Starting from Saturday’s revenge fixture against Crystal Palace, the Red Devils will play five games in 16 days and Erik ten Hag will need to utilise squad depth in order to avoid any unwanted injuries.
Defence was one area which suffered as a result of numerous injuries last term and already, the likes of Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia all sidelined.
In good news however, Victor Lindelof was spotted back in training after a toe injury kept him sidelined for most of pre-season and for the start of the new campaign.
Lindelof back in training
United’s defensive numbers will be strengthened as the 20-time English league champions prepare to hit the road for the start of their Europa League campaign while also having to contend with two huge league games.
United will face Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa before the next international break and the manager will need all his players to be fit and firing if he is to escape unscathed.
Welcome back, @VLindelof 🫶#MUFC pic.twitter.com/UaTVPqJpBB
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 20, 2024
Despite two wins, the pressure remains on him and any untoward results could force INEOS to pull the plug anytime with multiple reports stating the club are keeping tabs on managerial targets.
The Swede was close to leaving in the summer with United desperately trying to move him on but despite interest from quite a few clubs, his wage demands meant no move materialised.
Future up in the air
His injury also meant the club did not force the former Benfica ace out with Ten Hag even stating he could be an option to play at left-back, a position where the Sweden captain struggled last term.
Lindelof has been troubled by injuries in recent campaigns with the defender playing only 28 appearances in all competitions in the previous campaign.
His contract ends in 2025 and unless there is a major U-turn from the club, this is likely to be the 30-year-old’s final season in Manchester.
It will be interesting to see if INEOS try to move him on again in January with a view to recoup a decent fee from his sale. His current market value stands at €15 million as per Transfermarkt.
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