Erik ten Hag has confirmed that Rasmus Hojlund is injured and will miss the next two to three weeks of the season.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League tie with Fulham, Ten Hag confirmed: “It is a small injury, two or three weeks. It is a risk in high intensity training.
“It’s not a big injury but he has to wait for two or three weeks.”
The manager was also asked his impressions of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS and whether he feels their vision matches his own.
“Absolutely. We are very aligned,” he said.
“We have the same ambition. We belong there (Champions League), we believe, we have to prove it.
“We speak a lot, there are many conversations with him, with Dave Brailsford about this club, about this team, about the structures, we are very aligned, it totally fits with ambitions I have, ambitions I had when I came in.
“I’m 19 months in and I see we are going in the right direction. We have had setbacks in the second season but you see the team coming, the squad developing, work hard on the training pitch, work hard during games, it’s important to have players fit but also to construct the squad, we will be strong and we will be even stronger when we add to this squad even more qualities.”
Asked if he believes there is more pressure on him following the investment, Ten Hag replied:
“Nothing. No more pressure because we have the same ambition, we have the same targets.
“That will always be the case (pressure) but I see the process and I see this team is developing, it’s progressing.
“I see we have now also the right age across the squad, we can make that even stronger and they will grow and we will do everything in our power, there is strong comp and there are reasons behind, we still have to catch up in the moment where every game is a final for us because we have to be in the Champions League, the players want this, the team want this but we have to believe.”
Asked about the incredible number of injuries his squad has sustained this season, the boss replied:
“Of course that is an issue but other clubs have this and we have to deal with this.
“I feel we can deal with it better but it’s an issue when the depth of the squad… I don’t go into that discussion now.
“What we look forward to is the future and what I discussed previously, you always have to improve, you always have to do better, bad structures can help for the future because the competitors never sleep, they always improve.
“As you see last season, third in the league, we have two finals, the way is not too far, you see in the last games what this team is capable of and the potential for this team is very good.
Ten Hag was then asked whether the injuries can provide opportunities for other players to break through.
“All the players will get the opportunity to show their qualities.
“Of course we are very curious and we have the confidence they can, because that’s why we constructed the squad when we went into the January window. We saw players who didn’t have the chance in the first half of the season or they were injured and now they will get opportunities and now it’s about them to be confident.”
Speaking about tomorrow’s opponents, Ten Hag remarked:
“We have to go from game to game, every game is a final, you will see closer by the end and points will be more expensive and everyone is fighting to get their position in the league table.
“We are used to it … we… have the experience of many players who can deal with pressure situations, so we look forward to it.”
