Luke Shaw in contention to face Nottingham Forest | Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag defends Sevilla substitutions | Football News

April 14, 2023 admin

Manchester United have received a timely boost with Luke Shaw and Scott McTominay both in contention to face Nottingham Forest, live on Super Sunday.

Shaw has missed the past two games with an unspecified injury, but the England full-back is expected to train ahead of the trip to the City Ground to ease United’s injury crisis.

When asked for an update on Shaw and McTominay, who was also absent from Thursday’s dramatic 2-2 draw with Sevilla in the Europa League quarter-final first leg at Old Trafford, United boss Erik ten Hag said: “For Sunday, [Luke Shaw and Scott McTominay] they could be [available].

“We have to wait and see. We have two or three sessions to go. I don’t know right now but it could be that Scott and Luke return to the squad but I’m not sure.”

Ten Hag is still awaiting an update on the fitness of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane as United prepare for Sunday’s Premier League game at Forest.

Varane went off at half-time against Sevilla and Martinez was taken away on a stretcher towards the end of the match, having pulled up holding his right ankle.

Asked if he could provide an update on the pair, Ten Hag shook his head and said: “Sorry, no. It’s not even 24 hours so I don’t have a complete diagnosis so I can’t tell in this moment.”

When reports that Martinez had broken a metatarsal was put to the United boss, Ten Hag said: “I can’t say in this moment.

“When we have news, we will give it straight to you. But let’s do the medical, do the assessment, fully diagnose, complete diagnose and then we will give the news.

“It doesn’t change in this moment. I have an idea [what is is] but I don’t cause speculation.”

Ten Hag is confident Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof will be able to fill the breach.

“I have a lot [of faith],” the United boss said. “I think I have decent centre-halves and they proved that in the past, they have proved this season. I think we have four or five very good centre-halves who can do the job.”

Ten Hag: Don’t look a cow in the a**e!

Ten Hag was again asked to explain his reasoning behind substituting both Bruno Fernandes and Antony during the second period against Sevilla, with United in a position of control.

Fernandes had been booked for an unintentional handball earlier in the half, a harsh ruling by the match official which has triggered a one-game suspension in the competition.

Antony was also walking a tightrope having been cautioned himself and was embroiled in a running battle with the Sevilla full-back Marcos Acuna.

Ten Hag explained: “Bruno threw the ball away and I felt the next time he would be off. A player for Sevilla was booked for this in the first half so the referee saved him.

“Antony was getting involved in an individual battle which wasn’t necessary. He was heating up his opponent [Acuna] so you run the risk of being sent off.

“From where I’m from, this is called looking the cow in the a**e. It is easy to look at things after the event.

“When he got sent off, you will be asking ‘why didn’t you take him off? Why did you run the risk?'”