The team did endure a nightmare last Monday as Crystal Palace thrashed them 0-4 with the Red Devils forced to play with their 14th different centre-back combination of Jonny Evans and Casemiro against the Eagles as Harry Maguire missed out.

Currently, almost the entire first-choice back four remains sidelined and the Dutchman hinted that he would not risk Lisandro Martinez from the start against the Gunners despite the Argentine’s wish to play.

The World Cup winner has suffered enough from being rushed back into action too soon and the plan is to try and keep him fit for the FA Cup final.

EtH wants more commitment from injured stars

However, the likes of Evans, Scott McTominay and Marcus Rashford, both of whom also returned to training recently, will hopefully try and make themselves available for selection from the start.

Ten Hag had publicly praised the Northern Ireland international, the Scot as well as Maguire for their ability to play through the pain barrier for the club and hopefully, a few more will raise their hands as the season finale approaches.

“Erik ten Hag wants his walking wounded to play through the pain and avoid a massacre by Arsenal,” wrote Neil Custis of The Sun.

“Ten Hag hopes his stars will be more “robust” and put up their hands for selection when he assembles his struggling squad on Saturday morning unless they have a serious injury.”

Players have often taken the easy way out at this club since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, a habit that the incompetent Glazers have allowed to fester and something that needs to be ended.

However, there is the risk that the additional load could lead to a further breakdown. The former Ajax coach wants more, which should be the norm, but considering the injury record this season, this might not be the best approach.

Major injury issues at the club

This season has been a disaster in terms of injuries with more than 60 separate cases of injury or illness with skipper Bruno Fernandes missing the Palace game, the first game he has ever missed because of injury since joining the club.

The medical department has been a joke with plenty of players prefering to diagnose their problems through their own doctors instead of trusting the club’s medical team.

The manager’s training methods are also under the scanner with the players frequently complaining about the training regimen as well as the running demands.

INEOS are far from impressed with the disarray at the club and Sir Jim Ratcliffe has ordered a probe into the injury issues at the club. They are also in the middle of overhauling the medical department.

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The crop of players, including some which have disappointed under multiple managers, have long been rewarded with expensive contracts and renewals without consistent performances meriting the same.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS’ first order of business will be to engineer the squad clearout for financial reasons as well.

To that tune, Football Insider reports that United have identified four players who will top that list.

These four will be shifted urgently by United which means they might be willing to even take losses on these sales just to get rid.

The players are Raphael Varane, Casemiro, Chrisitan Eriksen, and Jonny Evans.

Two of the names are obvious ones on the list- Varane’s contract expires in the summer so more than “selling” him, United are likely to just not activate the option in his contract and let him leave.

Evans is also on a one-year contract and while he has been a pleasant surprise, his age and inevitable decline dictate that United look for better, more long-term options to invest in.

Casemiro has just had the worst game of his United career away at Palace and the calls for his departure are deafening but he’ll be the hardest to shift.

United handed him a five-year contract worth nearly £350k/week in 2022 and except for Middle-East, nobody looks capable of taking that off United’s books.

Therefore, that will be a sale where United will undoubtedly make a huge loss and hopefully, the new regime will learn their lesson first up by cleaning up a Glazer mistake.

Eriksen might be a case where United can get a fee if they are smart. The Dane looks past it playing in United’s dysfunctional system but his ball-playing and set-piece abilities might be valued by a team in the top-five leagues.

Considering he joined as a free transfer, any income from his sale will be a big bonus.

The INEOS regime is keen to clear up the wages by finally holding high-earners accountable and with Martial’s exit all but sealed, these exits will free up more nearly a million/week in wages alone.

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United will be keen to avoid further misery following a barren run in April that saw Erik ten Hag’s men win just one of their five top-flight clashes.

The Red Devils will undoubtedly be eager to register a win over the Eagles as they seek to secure Europa League football, now that Champions League qualification is out of the picture.

Man United team news

Ahead of the match, Ten Hag has welcomed back defender Jonny Evans and striker Anthony Martial into first-team training – brilliant news for the United boss and his coaching staff.

Welcome back, lads

@AnthonyMartial x Jonny Evans #MUFC || #PL pic.twitter.com/clWm2KGOnx

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 2, 2024

The pair was seen at Carrington on Thursday, intensifying their training regimen. Evans has been absent since United’s match against Chelsea, while Martial has been sidelined since January. Martial’s last appearance for the 20-time English champions was in their loss to Bournemouth at Old Trafford last year.

Evans’ return will especially come as a huge lift to Ten Hag, who has been grappling with an injury crisis in the defensive department. The Dutch coach has been forced to deploy a centre-back pairing of Harry Maguire and Casemiro in recent games.

With Martial now available, United possess an alternative to Rasmus Hojlund and bolster their attacking options from the bench.

However, Ten Hag relayed in his presser that Scott McTominay, who suffered an injury scare late on against Burnley, is expected to return to training on Saturday with a late decision to be made on whether the Scot makes the journey down to South London.

Bruno Fernandes is a doubt for the match although he can’t be completely ruled out as Ten Hag himself stated. The 29-year-old has yet to miss a game for United since arriving at the Theatre of Dreams from Sporting Lisbon.

There are also question marks over Marcus Rashford, who has not featured since limping off in extra time in the FA Cup semi-final vs. Coventry City. Ten Hag said that Rashford hasn’t completely healed and is still recovering from the issue he picked up.

Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Raphael Varane, Tyrell Malacia and Willy Kambwala all remain absent.

Crystal Palace team news

Like United, Palace have received a huge defensive boost with Englishman Marc Guehi now back in training. Guehi still hasn’t played under new boss Glasner but could finally get the opportunity on Monday.

Influential midfielder Eberechi Eze is also expected to make his comeback for Palace after he was left out in their previous game against Fulham. Eze has notched eight goals and three assists for the London club in 24 Premier League appearances this term.

Jefferson Lerma and Cheick Doucoure will also likely be in contention to line up for Palace against United. There will be no reunion for Carrington academy graduate Sam Johnstone but his goalkeeping counterpart and also former Red Dean Henderson will almost certainly start between the sticks.

The game kicks off at 8pm BST. Live coverage of proceedings is available on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.

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In the end, however, the England international’s deal with West Ham United fell through and the Red Devils were forced to abandon their plans of signing Jean-Clair Todibo of OGC Nice.

Instead, with very little options left on the table, the club opted to offer veteran Jonny Evans a one-year deal after the Northern Irishman impressed the Dutchman during training.

The former academy graduate had been training with the club to keep his fitness up after being released by former outfit Leicester City and he would never have thought at that point that a return to his boyhood club would be an option.

Evans’ return to United

Eyebrows were raised and his debut came in a game with Arsenal where the club ended up conceding two late goals, which further infuriated the fanbase.

Since then, the 36-year-old has rolled back the years and has impressed with his ability on the ball, which he never lost, while his reading of the game and experienced head helped the club in difficult situations.

With a mounting injury crisis, the three-time Premier League winner ended up playing way more than even he would hoped for, making 25 appearances in all competitions while registering one glorious assist.

Such has been his impact that Ten Hag reportedly wants him to stay on and sign another rolling deal. Currently, the 07/08 Champions League winner is out injured and new co-owners INEOS have plans to focus on youth instead of signing experienced stars.

That could mean another new deal for the Northern Ireland international might not materialise even though Ten Hag has come out fighting for Evans in public.

Interestingly, Givemesport have now revealed that the club hierarchy have been impressed with what Sir Alex Ferguson’s protege has offered and plan to induct him into the coaching staff moving forward.

With so many young academy talents coming forward, the club feel Evans’ experience can be best utilised if he works in tandem with the rising crop on the coaching side of things.

“Although United are cost-cutting and streamlining staff, word from inside the club’s Carrington training HQ is that veteran defender Jonny Evans may have been earmarked for a future position on the coaching staff.

“Despite several excellent displays it’s uncertain if the Northern Ireland defender will be offered another one-year deal. That’s likely to be determined once the futures of Varane, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire have been sorted out.

Coaching deal in the pipeline

“But, Evans’ calmness, football knowledge and experience has been noted by senior figures who, going forward, are keen to keep him involved with young defenders like Willy Kambwala.”

The centre-back will also likely have a say regarding the matter. If he thinks he can still offer something on the playing side, he might leave for pastures new and return when the time is appropriate.

If United do indeed recruit two centre-backs in the summer, the veteran’s chances of earning minutes might decrease but the club can benefit from his wisdom if he is indeed kept around for another year.

A coaching role can then be offered when the defender is ready to hang up his boots. As he has shown this season, Evans certainly can go toe-to-toe with the best when required.

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United have confirmed via their website that Varane is set to be ruled out of competitive action for the next few weeks with a muscle injury picked up during the club’s game vs. Chelsea last week.

The 20-time English champions have relayed about Varane, “The French World Cup winner is aiming to be back in action before the end of the season in May.”

The Red Devils have also stated that Evans will miss Saturday’s clash against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

United explain that like Varane, Evans is recovering from a muscle issue although his setback is not thought to be as serious or long-term compared to his teammate.

The veteran defender is likely to make his return to action just in time for the Red Devils’ FA Cup semi-final clash at Wembley against Coventry City.

Both Varane and Evans missed United’s match vs. Liverpool last weekend. In their absence, Erik ten Hag was forced to deploy a centre-back pairing of Harry Maguire and Carrington academy graduate Willy Kambwala.

Varane and Evans both picked up their muscle injuries in the heartbreaking late defeat at the hands of Chelsea.

The former France international was taken off at half-time. He seemed to be in pain and unable to continue, prompting his partner at Stamford Bridge, Maguire, to signal to the bench for him to be removed.

Evans was brought in for Maguire but the 36-year-old only managed 20 minutes before he was also forced out of proceedings.

Evans and Maguire join Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof on the treatment table, leaving Ten Hag and his coaching staff to grapple with an injury crisis in the defensive department.

It seems that in the near future, Ten Hag will have no choice but to carry on with Maguire and Kambwala – the only fit and available central defenders available to him for selection.

Varane and Evans have amassed 30 and 25 appearances respectively for United across all competitions this term.

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The Frenchman excelled and is set to earn a new deal to ward off interest from Serie A giants Napoli but the futures of several others remain up in the air.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is plotting a summer clearout to raise capital for reinforcements and there is a chance of multiple exits from defence.

Performances this season have been less than ideal with the 20-time English league champions conceding three or more goals 13 times this season.

More than one defender could leave

Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans both got injured in the game against Chelsea and their contracts end in June with INEOS looking at letting the Frenchman leave to free up space on the wage bill.

What will happen with the 36-year-old remains to be seen but the manager reportedly is quite impressed with what the Northern Irishman has offered and is keen on holding on to him for another year.

Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof are also on the sidelines and while the club want to keep both, the Swede has been linked with several other clubs and his recent injury record has not been great.

Then there is Harry Maguire, who has shown a resurgence in form after being close to getting sold last summer, and there are murmurs that West Ham United could return for the former club captain.

Injuries have been a massive factor that has derailed the campaign and considering departures, this could open up more than one spot in the squad.

Football Insider have claimed the Red Devils are eyeing two centre-back additions in the summer.

One will be a big-name signing which will entail a higher spend while the other addition is expected to be a diamond in the rough or in other words, someone young who can develop further in the years to come.

Multiple arrivals

“Man United are starting work on deals to sign two centre-backs in the upcoming summer transfer window, sources have told Football Insider.

“It is believed the Red Devils will pursue both a big-money signing and another younger, less polished defender arrival.”

Big-name targets include Gleison Bremer, Antonio Silva and Jarrad Branthwaite just to name a few while the club is keeping tabs on rising Argentine star Aaron Anselmino.

This is a foolproof strategy and makes sense considering the club is finally planning for the future with INEOS now on board instead of signing quick fixes.

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Manchester United’s 2023-2024 season is in danger of going down as one of the worst in the club’s recent history.

The Red Devils lie in sixth place in the league, 11 points off teams in the Champions League places and are in serious danger of being overtaken by both West Ham and Newcastle. An eighth place finish would represent the club’s worst league finish since 1990, when they finished 13th but did manage to win the FA Cup – a potentially startling symmetry to this season.

The United defence has been incredibly suspect all season as they shipped 15 goals in just six Champions League group games, crashing out in last place in December. What’s more, no team in Europe’s top five leagues has faced more shots on goal than the Red Devils in 2024.

Of course, the players and manager need to have a long hard look in the mirror when this season is done and dusted, but there is another major reason behind this season’s pathetic displays – a scarcely believable list of absentees through injury, especially in defence.

Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw have missed the majority of the season and they are arguably the club’s two most valuable defenders, not just in defending but also in Erik ten Hag’s build up play.

In fact, all the backline has been missing at some point during the season, resulting in an incredible 31 different back four combinations during the season. This was highlighted by Willy Kambwala and Harry Maguire being the only two fit centre backs to play in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool.

Man Utd have started 31 different back lines in 43 matches this season:

1.AWB, Varane, Martinez, Shaw
2.AWB, Varane, Martinez, Dalot
3.AWB, Lindelof, Martinez, Dalot
4.Dalot, Lindelof, Martinez, Reguilon
5.AWB, Lindelof, Martinez, Reguilon
6.Dalot, Lindelof, Evans, Reguilon… pic.twitter.com/UTppmMPR8S

— Alice Abrahams (@AliceTalksFooty) April 7, 2024

When analysing the names, it can be seen that the only real consistent in the defensive line as of late has been Diogo Dalot and perhaps it is no surprise that he has been enjoying arguably the best season of his career, highlighted by his fine display versus Liverpool at the weekend.

The Portuguese international has played 26 times in 31 Premier League matches. However, nobody else has been able to play for any considerable stretch of time in the first eleven.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka has played 13 times, Raphael Varane 16, Victor Lindelof 11, Harry Maguire 14 times and even the 36 year old Jonny Evans has started nine times and been subbed on many more. This means that many players have had decent game time, but really no central defender has been able to consolidate their place in the team, never mind having two continuously available to form an actual partnership.

The left back is the most ridiculous situation where Tyrell Malacia has not played all season and Shaw has only played 11 matches with a few of them being in the centre back position.

In total, there have been six different left backs used this season with only two of them being recognised left full backs, Shaw and Sergio Reguilon. Sofyan Amrabat, Victor Lindelof, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Diogo Dalot have all had to deputise in the unfamiliar role.

Ten Hag perplexed fans once again during his post-match press conference when he claimed his side played very well despite dominated in terms of shots and possession against their arch-rivals.

However, one comment he made did make a whole lot of sense. Without being able to field anything close to a consistent back four, it is normal that they players can’t build up routines or patterns to understand one another.

There is much talk about the pursuit of sporting directors and the upcoming transfer window but perhaps the most important piece of business INEOS carry out will be connected to the ongoing investigation of the massive failings of the current medical team employed at Old Trafford.

It is vital to not let any player or manager off the hook but at the same time it is worth considering, could any team actually be successful defensively under such ridiculous circumstances?

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