Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has admitted that his team is "not ready" for the start of the Premier League season, which kicks off on Friday. Despite this, Ten Hag is hopeful that new signings Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui will quickly integrate into the squad.
United will begin their English top-flight campaign with a home match against Fulham. Ten Hag is aiming for a strong start after the team finished eighth last season. A surprising FA Cup final victory over Manchester City in May is thought to have played a role in Ten Hag retaining his position.
The club has made significant moves in the transfer market, with De Ligt and Mazraoui joining from Bayern Munich this week, following the earlier arrivals of Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee. However, injuries have affected United's pre-season preparations, with Yoro, striker Rasmus Hojlund, and left-back Luke Shaw all currently sidelined.
"The team is not ready but the league starts," Ten Hag stated at his pre-match press conference on Thursday. "We can't hide from it. We have to deal with it."
Both De Ligt and Mazraoui have previously worked with Ten Hag at Ajax and will be included in the squad for the match against Fulham. Ten Hag emphasized that the focus should be on the available players, noting that the team has a strong group capable of making a solid selection.
Despite a penalty shootout loss to Manchester City in the Community Shield, Ten Hag noted some positive aspects from the match. Alejandro Garnacho, who scored United's goal in a 1-1 draw, is among several players who are still regaining match fitness after a late return to pre-season due to international duties over the summer.
"We will not (be) 100 percent," Ten Hag acknowledged. "But we have to go from game to game to improve, to get higher performance levels in the team and individual players, and we will see how quick we can go into this process."
