Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag has stressed a cautious approach ahead of the Community Shield clash with Manchester City, stating that he won’t take unnecessary risks with his players, as reported by the Daily Post.
With several key players still recovering from injuries, Ten Hag is focused on ensuring their availability for the upcoming season. Bruno Fernandes, Lisandro Martinez, and Alejandro Garnacho have yet to feature in pre-season friendlies, while Leny Yoro and Rasmus Højlund are already sidelined due to injuries.
When asked about his team selection for the match against City, Ten Hag told reporters, “The FA Cup was a bigger occasion than Saturday’s game. Nevertheless, we want to win, but we’ve shown before that we can beat City. We have that belief, but we don’t want to risk losing players for long periods.”
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Ten Hag’s remarks underscore his focus on long-term goals, drawing from last season’s experience with injuries to key players. He added, “We want to achieve results, and for that, players need to be available. We don’t want to fall into a pattern where injuries to the same unit disrupt our results.”
With Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka also doubtful for the match, Ten Hag’s cautious approach is understandable. While Manchester United will be aiming to win the Community Shield for the first time since 2016, the manager’s primary concern is keeping his players fit for the challenges ahead.