Betis vs Manchester United: Erik ten Hag looked ahead to the return of Manchester United in the eighth finals of the Europa League on Wednesday evening. The coach, much to his own irritation, had bad news about Alejandro Garnacho. In addition, he does not intend to spare players.
Irritation for Ten Hag: After Van de Beek and Eriksen already third serious contact injury
“I don’t know when he’ll be back, but this is a serious injury,” Ten Hag said of Garnacho. The Argentinian was in great shape, but was kicked into the infirmary after a hard charge last weekend. He adds, “This is going to take weeks. It’s difficult to put a diagnosis on that now, but I expect him back this season.”
After Donny van de Beek and Christian Eriksen, it is the third player to lose Ten Hag for a long time after a hard foul. “Another serious injury after a foul. Also a bad decision by the referee not to penalize him. We need to get him back as soon as possible because we need him badly. Only he has to be ready,” the manager continues.
“I think I’ve only had the group complete for one match this year,” Ten Hag denounced the injury he has to contend with. “At home against Manchester City. But we can handle it for now. We have received red cards and sustained serious injuries. The arbitration is inconsistent. We’ve had conversations about that. Only it’s not about the referees, it’s about ourselves. We have to focus on ourselves.”
Premier League title contenders?
In England, people are especially curious whether Manchester United can play for the national title next season. “I think we are making a lot of progress. But we know there is still a big gap. We have already beaten all the top teams this year. The Premier League is tougher than ever. It is not a battle between two teams. Maybe five, six or seven teams can become champions.”
“I’m sure we can do it next year, but then we still have to take steps,” thinks Ten Hag. “The gap was already big, but we are getting there. I didn’t expect that we would get closer so quickly. If we get the time, it could work.”
Against Real Betis, Manchester United defends a big lead (4-1) on Thursday evening. Ten Hag does miss Antony, who is ill. He doesn’t want to make any further adjustments. “We had a good result last week, but we are not there yet. We need our best players and the best team to keep going,” he concludes.
