Erik ten Hag ‘seriously considering’ Man United lineup U-Turn vs Southampton, it would be surprising

Erik ten Hag is ‘seriously considering’ making a U-Turn in his Manchester United lineup decision for the upcoming Premier League clash against Southampton.

The Reds have encountered a challenging start to the season, with only one Premier League victory in their first three matches.

A 3-0 loss to rivals Liverpool followed a last-minute defeat to Brighton. While the opening win against Fulham showed promise, Erik ten Hag’s team still has plenty of work to do.

Manuel Ugarte joined the club this summer but wasn’t signed in time to face Liverpool, with the club stating that he wasn’t considered match-fit.

Despite Casemiro’s poor performance, which has led to hopes that Ugarte might start after the international break, Ten Hag cautioned that the 23-year-old could take “months” to adjust to English football.

This suggested it would be some time before United fans see him in the starting lineup. However, it appears that Ten Hag has changed his mind.

Ten Hag seriously considering Ugarte debut vs Southampton

According to a new report from GiveMeSport, the United boss is ‘seriously considering’ whether to throw Ugarte into the starting lineup against Southampton on the weekend.

Ugarte started both games over the international break for Uruguay. He played 79 minutes against Paraguay before playing the entire 90 minutes during the 0-0 draw with Venezuela.

The report added that United sources are hopeful that the 23-year-old midfielder will be able to start the encounter at St Mary’s Stadium despite the previous concerns over his fitness after a limited pre-season.

With Ugarte now set to return to Manchester, the club will assess his condition to get a better understanding of what his capabilities are for the weekend before Ten Hag makes a final decision.

A surprising change from Ten Hag

Ten Hag’s comments about Ugarte’s fitness made it seem crystal clear that he would not be ready for Premier League football straight away.

We saw how he approached integrating Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee into the team after both players had no pre-season with their previous clubs.

While it is a decision that will be popular among the fanbase, it is somewhat surprising considering how Ten Hag operates.

But that may show how vital the midfield improvement is for the manager, who will undoubtedly be under pressure if they don’t come away from Southampton with three points.

Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is released every Thursday at 6 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.