BREAKING NEWS: Reporting live from Old Trafford, Erik ten Hag has announced that four key Manchester United players who were available for the Liverpool match will not be fit for the Southampton game. It has been confirmed that these senior players will miss the match against Southampton due to personal issues and injuries. Ten Hag stated, “We are still in a transition period, but there are no excuses. We must win every game, and with my new starting lineup, I am confident we will succeed. The team believes that, and it doesn’t matter who is available. We will approach each game with the mindset that we have to win.” Manchester United will face Southampton at St. Mary’s Stadium on Saturday, with four first-team players sidelined.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed that both Rasmus Hojlund and Luke Shaw will miss the upcoming Premier League match against Southampton. The game is scheduled to take place at St. Mary’s Stadium on Saturday, September 14.

Neither Hojlund nor Shaw has featured for United this season. Hojlund, the 21-year-old Danish striker, sustained a hamstring injury during United’s pre-season match against Arsenal on their U.S. tour, while Shaw picked up a calf injury early in pre-season training.

Fans had hoped that the two players would return after the international break, but ten Hag provided an update on their fitness. He stated (via Fabrizio Romano on X), “Rasmus Højlund and Luke Shaw are progressing very well but won’t be available to face Southampton on Saturday.”

In addition to the injuries of Hojlund and Shaw, Manchester United has several other players sidelined, including Tyrell Malacia, Leny Yoro, Victor Lindelöf, Daniel Gore, and Mason Mount. These absences have affected the team’s start to the 2024-25 season, where they have managed just one win from their first three Premier League matches.

Despite these injury setbacks, ten Hag made it clear that there are no excuses, emphasizing the need for the team to focus on winning. He remarked, “We are still in a transition period but NO excuses. We have to win every game. I know that. The team knows that, and it doesn’t matter who is available. We will focus on every game and approach it with the mindset that we have to win.”

Manchester United currently sits 14th in the Premier League table with three points from three games, a disappointing position given their ambitions for the season.

In other news, former Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit has suggested that Erik ten Hag consider naming Kobbie Mainoo as Manchester United’s captain. Petit praised the 19-year-old English midfielder as a future leader of the club and highlighted him and Alejandro Garnacho as standout performers. Petit suggested that ten Hag might make a bold decision by appointing Mainoo as captain, sending a message to underperforming players.

Bruno Fernandes currently serves as United’s captain, but Petit’s comments reflect the ongoing debate about leadership within the club. As United prepares to face Southampton, both players and the manager are under pressure to deliver results amidst injuries and high expectations.