Manchester United teams news vs Tottenham with Erik ten Hag expecting SIX returns

Erik ten Hag has explained that he expects up to SIX players to return as Manchester United face Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.

Manchester United‘s monumental injury crisis this season has seen the squad without up to 12 players for games of late, but Erik ten Hag has said he expects six players to be back for the Premier League tie against Tottenham Hotspur.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Ten Hag explained that three players will definitely return, while another three may after being back in training.

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“We have had a lot of injuries, so this week in training, the last couple of days, Licha Martinez training, Casemiro training, Luke Shaw training, so there are players returning, they are coming in for selection for Sunday,” Ten Hag said on Friday afternoon.

“Antony, yeah (he will be fit). Eriksen was ill in the week – he will return. Antony will return. Amad will return. We have more choice in this moment in the squad to put out a starting XI and create a bench that is stronger.”

Speaking further, he said: “They are returning, a step ahead, when I talk about Licha Martinez returning, Casemiro returning, for instance, but they were a long time away, Mason Mount will return but take a little longer, Tyrell Malacia will return as well.

“Victor Lindelöf is also on his way back, but it will take some weeks, and it takes time to get back into match fitness. When we have the news, we will tell you. I’m not sure the word relief, first it has to happen they are back but it is positive they are back on the training ground and that they go back to the team and then to 100% match fitness.”

Speaking on Anthony Martial, Ten Hag said: “He’s not fit. We want the players to be fit, and at this moment, he is not. We have to make him fit, and it is his job as well to get ready for the next game. But at this moment, he is having medical treatment, and he has to recover.

There has been no update on the fitness of Sofyan Amrabat.

Meanwhile, Tottenham will be without Son Heung-min, Pape Sarr, and Yves Bissouma (who was suspended anyway) due to international call-ups. They also miss James Maddison, Cristian Romero, Ben Davies, Ivan Perisic, Alejo Veliz, and Manor Solomon due to injury.

Eric Dier will not be part of the squad after moving to Bayern Munich earlier this week, but the game could hand debuts to striker Timo Werner and central defender Radu Drăgușin.