When Manchester United announced that Erik ten Hag would be staying in charge despite overseeing their worst ever Premier League campaign - and despite the club speaking to multiple alternatives - they promised that things would be different from now on.
While holding a thorough review into the season, the club’s hierarchy noted “significant mitigations for last season’s under-performance in the Premier League and Champions League”, namely “having the most injuries in the Premier League and concentrated in key positions”. Barring a repeat of last year’s exceptionally bad run of injuries, so went the logic, United would be much stronger.
So it is most inconvenient that two weeks before United begin the new season against Fulham, they are in the midst of yet another injury crisis, affecting key players in crucial positions. The club’s biggest signing of the summer, Leny Yoro, is out for three months with an ankle injury sustained in the pre-season friendly against Arsenal, while Rasmus Hojlund will miss the next six weeks after straining his hamstring against the Gunners. The next friendly against Real Betis brought more injury woes, with Marcus Rashford and Antony limping off.
Who will be next to succumb to the club’s pre-season curse when they round off their tour against Liverpool? And who is to say there will not be more walking wounded when the season gets underway?