Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has acknowledged that the return of Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez from their respective injuries is unlikely to happen before Christmas.
The team’s performance this season has been affected by various injury and fitness concerns, preventing Ten Hag from fielding his strongest XI consistently.
Casemiro, who suffered a hamstring injury in last week’s Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle United, and Lisandro Martinez, who underwent surgery for a recurring metatarsal issue, are both currently unavailable.
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While Martinez was not anticipated to play again in 2023, Casemiro’s injury was initially expected to keep him out for a few weeks. However, speaking ahead of the Champions League clash with FC Copenhagen on Wednesday, Ten Hag revealed that Casemiro is also racing against time to make a return before the end of the calendar year.
“I have some time schedules, yeah, but it’s always difficult to predict that because they can get setbacks during the rehab period, so I’m always holding back a little bit on some issues,” Ten Hag commented.
“I anticipate the return of some players, but Casemiro and Martinez are grappling with significant injuries, and I don’t foresee their comeback before Christmas. It’s a matter of several weeks.”
On a positive note for United, both Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire are set to start against Copenhagen. Rashford, who missed Saturday’s victory at Fulham due to a heavy knock in training, is now fully fit. Maguire, who sustained a head injury early in the match at Craven Cottage, underwent all necessary protocols and is prepared to play.
“We followed all the protocols during the game and after the game, so [Maguire] is ready to play,” Ten Hag affirmed. “Rashford? 100% [fit]. Harry was fine in the game, so no problems.
“He played a very good game. Rashy missed one game due to a small knock, but he’s back.”