Manchester United are anxious about the condition of their new acquisition, Leny Yoro, after he was compelled to leave the field due to an injury during their pre-season loss to Arsenal.
United were defeated 2-1 by the Gunners at SoFi Stadium in California as part of their pre-season tour of the United States.
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Rasmus Hojlund scored for Erik ten Hag’s team after just 10 minutes but had to exit shortly thereafter due to discomfort in his hamstring.
Arsenal equalized with a goal from Gabriel Jesus before his Brazilian teammate Gabriel Martinelli secured a winner for Mikel Arteta’s squad.
To add to Ten Hag’s concerns, Yoro was also removed from the game after experiencing an injury in only his second appearance for the club following his £62m transfer from Lille.
After the match, Ten Hag expressed uncertainty about the severity of the injuries to Yoro and Hojlund.
“It is too short [notice] we have to wait over 24 hours and then we know hopefully more,” he told MUTV.
“We were very careful especially with Leny. He did only 50 per cent from the sessions so it was very disappointing that he had to come off but let’s be positive and see what is coming out.”
Paul Hirst of The Times has suggested that Yoro’s injury might be more serious than Hojlund’s, though clarity will come only after both players undergo further tests.
The reason United must wait until Monday to scan Yoro and Hojlund is due to swelling after the initial impact in the affected area.
“Clubs usually wait a day before scanning players’ injuries as the swelling around the affected area needs to subside before an accurate assessment of the problem can be obtained,” reported The Times.
Before the defeat to Arsenal, Ten Hag mentioned that United had made changes behind the scenes to manage injuries better after being severely affected last season.
“We already made our decisions, we appointed a new club doctor last season and he started late in the season but now he can start fresh and be in the lead,” the Dutchman said.
“We appointed a new head physio, so we made changes, we changed strategies in medical and performance to improve but that is normal.
“In nowadays football the development is so fast and every time you have to innovate. If you want to be the best you need also the best in those departments.”
Ten Hag attributed the congested fixture list as the primary cause of United’s injury problems last season, rather than issues at Old Trafford.
“The amount of games. The fixture list. The load on the players, the pressure on the players is so high and we are not the only team with so many injuries,” he added.
“Across the Premier League, there were so many injuries, we were not even the worst, bad luck, we had them at the end of the season in the back four and it cost us a lot of points.
“The load and the pressure on players is so immense and this season is getting even worse with the new model in Europe. It (rising injury tolls) will happen. I just mentioned it, it’s survival of the fittest.”
United hope Yoro and Hojlund will be fit to play against Real Betis in their next pre-season friendly on Thursday before their final warm-up match against Liverpool on Sunday.
Ten Hag’s team will then face Manchester City in the Community Shield on August 10, with their opening Premier League game against Fulham scheduled for August 16.
