United star Hojlund may miss Manchester Derby with injury

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has revealed that Rasmus Hojlund has suffered a minor injury. The Dutchman made the announcement during his scheduled press conference on Friday. United is set to face Fulham on Saturday, February 24th without their star striker.

“It is a small injury, two or three weeks,” explained Ten Hag. “It is a risk in high-intensity training, it is not a big injury, but he has to wait for two, three weeks.”

Hojlund last featured for the club during a Premier League matchup with Luton Town last weekend. The Danish forward netted a seven-minute brace in the game before being substituted in the 86th minute. Along with the Fulham fixture, United also faces Nottingham Forest midweek in the FA Cup and then a massive Manchester Derby against rivals City on March 3rd.

Red Devils now have seven significant players on the sidelines

The news regarding Hojlund only adds to United’s injury woes. Along with the striker, the Red Devils are also currently without several other key stars. This list includes Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Anthony Martial, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Ten Hag answered questions about the growing injury concerns on the squad during the aforementioned press conference. The manager admitted that it is a problem, but he feels confident in his players who are currently healthy.

“Of course, that is an issue, but other clubs have this, and we have to deal with this. I feel we can deal with it better,” continued the manager.

“All the players will have the opportunity to show their qualities. We have the confidence that they can. This is why we constructed this squad. We see players that are progressing that didn’t have a chance in the first half of season or were injured. Now they have the opportunity to fit into the team, but they have to prove it.”

Rashford likely to fill in for injured center forward

Hojlund started his United career fairly slowly. After completing a nearly $80 million move from Atalanta, the youngster failed to score in any of his first 14 Premier League matches. However, Hojlund has since netted seven goals and two assists in his last six top-flight fixtures.

The striker’s incredible form has directly impacted United’s place in the standings. The Red Devils previously sat eighth in the table before Hojlund’s scoring streak. They also had a negative goal differential and were eight points behind a top-four place as well.

Nevertheless, since the striker began scoring goals, United has moved up to sixth in the standings. Not only have the Red Devils improved their place in the table, but they now sit just five points adrift from a Champions League place.

With Hojlund and Martial now both out, Ten Hag does not have a fit traditional center forward in the squad. As a result, Marcus Rashford will now fill the void up front.

The England international has experience in the position in recent seasons but has struggled to score in the current campaign. The typical winger has managed to score just five total goals on the season. Rashford, and the rest of the club’s front line, will have to score significant goals if United is to continue on its hot streak.

PHOTOS: IMAGO.