Manuel Ugarte sends truthful fitness message to Manchester United amid Erik ten Hag concern

Manuel Ugarte has sent a truthful fitness message to Manchester United after Erik ten Hag shared concerns about the new signing.

The Reds have had a poor start to the season, winning just one of their opening three Premier League fixtures.

Positives were taken from the summer transfer window, where several signings were made that should help Erik ten Hag’s side going forward.

Manuel Ugarte will bolster the midfield but wasn’t signed in time to face Liverpool on the weekend, with the club also noting that he wasn’t considered match-fit to play.

After Casemiro’s poor performance in that game, some are optimistic that Ugarte might start after the international break against Southampton.

However, in a post-match interview on the weekend, Ten Hag warned that it could take time for the 23-year-old to build his fitness, which suggests that he may not immediately come into the lineup.

“So this is another one: we have to build him into the team,” Ten Hag cautioned. “It will take time, so it’s not like I’m Harry Potter. That is what you have to acknowledge.

“And if you see Manuel Ugarte, he didn’t play so far in the season. Not one match minute. So he needs to build his fitness rate, and then we have to build him in the team.

“I am sure he will contribute to our level, and he will be an important player, but that will take a couple of weeks, maybe even months.

“And it counts for more players. Joshua Zirkzee, he made big steps the last three or four weeks, I am very pleased with his performance today but I didn’t expect this four weeks ago.”

However, Ugarte himself spoke to Uruguay media after heading off to international duty this week and admitted that he feels “very good” physically despite the lack of pre-season.

“I’m very happy, very hungry and very excited,” he said upon his arrival with the national team.

“I feel very good, the truth is that I haven’t played many minutes since the season began, but physically I feel very good.”

Uruguay have World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Venezuela this week, which will provide Ugarte with essential minutes on the pitch ahead of his United return.

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