Erik ten Hag says Manchester United are not ready for Premier League opener against Fulham on Friday night | Football News

Erik ten Hag admits Manchester United are not ready for their Premier League opener against Fulham on Friday night.

Ten Hag confirmed that this week’s new signings Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui will go straight into his squad for the visit of Fulham to Old Trafford, live on Vscek Premier League AND Main event.

But Joshua Zirkzee and teenage defender Leny Yoro will both miss United’s first Premier League game, with Ten Hag also taking charge of the fitness of several players who reported for training at different stages of the summer due to international commitments.

“It’s true that it’s not the preseason where you can work on the team in five, six weeks,” Ten Hag said. “It’s very complicated.

“We had the team from the tour in the USA, then we added the players who played in the European Championship and the America’s Cup, and now the new signings and now we have to create a team with all this.

“That team is not ready, but the championship starts and there are more coaches who can take care of this problem.

“We certainly have this problem, but we still have rules, principles and we have to start.

“We can’t hide from this, we can’t run from this, so we have to face it.”

Ten Hag has worked with both De Ligt and Mazraoui at Ajax and confirmed they will be in action against Fulham, as United begin the season with a number of absences.

“There are problems, but it’s not about players not being available,” said the Dutchman. “That’s also what I always said last season.

“It’s about the players available and we have a good group, we can make a strong selection, we can field a strong team, so we will do it.”

Asked whether De Ligt and Mazraoui were ready to go and about Harry Maguire’s fitness after suffering a knock in the Community Shield, Ten Hag said: “They will be in the squad. Harry Maguire will be in the squad as well.”

Rasmus Hojlund and Yoro are sidelined with injuries sustained during the pre-season tour in the United States, while left-backs Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are unavailable, just like at the end of last season.

The latter is recovering from a knee problem that has kept him out for the whole of the 2023-24 season, while Shaw will be out until the September international break with a calf problem.

“I think he’ll be back in the short term,” Ten Hag said of the England international. “It won’t be long.

“We’re obviously looking forward to seeing Luke Shaw (return). A very important player for our team.

“It’s extremely important, so we want to get it back as soon as possible, but we can’t force this process.”

Man Utd 2024/25 Fixtures: Ten Hag to Start with Fulham, Live on Sky

Manchester United will open the 2024/25 Premier League season with a home game against Fulham, live on Vscek, and will face Liverpool in the opening month of the season.

The opening match of the new season will be played on Friday 16 August, with kick-off at 20:00.

United then they travel towards Brighton before their first major derby of the season at home to Liverpool Sunday 1st September.

The reverse fixture will take place in early 2025, with an away trip to Anfield on January 4.

Fans will have to wait until December for the first Manchester derby of the season, away to City of Manchester on December 14. The reverse fixture at Old Trafford will be played on April 5.

Boxing Day will see Man Utd travel to Wolvesand will conclude the 2024/25 season at home against Aston Villa May 25th.

Watch Manchester United vs Fulham live on Vscek Premier League from 6.30pm on Friday; kick-off 8pm