Ugarte, Hojlund, Shaw: Early Manchester United team news vs Southampton (Premier League)

Manchester United will return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon to face Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium.

The Reds have struggled in the early stages of the season, claiming just one Premier League win in their first three matches.

A 3-0 defeat to rivals Liverpool came after a last-minute loss to Brighton. Despite their opening victory over Fulham, which showed promise, Erik ten Hag’s team still has plenty to work on.

The international break has provided a well-timed pause in the season, with several players getting closer to full fitness.

That will be crucial for Ten Hag’s men, who begin to play two matches per week for the foreseeable future once club football returns.

Players returning

Luke Shaw and Rasmus Højlund are both expected to return and be in contention for selection against Southampton this weekend.

The pair both suffered pre-season injuries that kept them out for the beginning of the season.

According to a new report from MailSport, Højlund has been “working around the clock” to regain fitness.

Despite his injury setback, the 21-year-old has maintained a positive attitude and has been training separately from the main squad, working closely with conditioning coach Mike Clegg and first-team physiotherapist David Binningsley.

They could return to first-team training this week, with Ten Hag then set to assess them before the trip down south.

Leny Yoro, Victor Lindelöf, Tyrell Malacia and Mason Mount remain unavailable for selection.

International break

Meanwhile, there have been some important updates for players representing their nations during the international break.

Manuel Ugarte started Uruguay’s draw against Paraguay and is likely to appear against Venezuela on Tuesday as well.

“I feel very good; I have prepared myself. The truth is that I haven’t played many minutes since the season began, but physically, I feel very good,” the new United midfielder said after the game.

Ten Hag initially expressed concerns about the 23-year-old’s physical condition due to a lack of pre-season minutes. However, he has managed to get some vital time on the pitch during the international break and could be in contention to start against Southampton.

We have also seen Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee start for the Netherlands, with Zirkzee netting his first goal for the country.

Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire started for England against Ireland. Ten Hag must be wary if interim Three Lions boss Lee Carsley decides to start Mainoo again on Tuesday against Finland.

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