Manchester United’s manager, Erik ten Hag, has provided an injury update ahead of the Premier League game against Newcastle United. He expects Lisandro Martínez to be fit for the upcoming match despite being restricted to just 11 appearances this season due to various injury problems. Martínez, the centre-back, has not played since the 1-1 draw with Brentford on March 30, but is likely to be part of the squad against Newcastle. Ten Hag mentioned, “I think he will return to the squad. He’s had some sessions with us and we plan for him to be available.”
In contrast, Raphaël Varane will be leaving the club at the end of the season as announced by Manchester United on Tuesday. While he will not be fit to play against Newcastle, there is hope that he could feature in the final Premier League game against Brighton and in the FA Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley on May 25. Ten Hag confirmed, “We are planning, definitely, for the last games. Not tomorrow, but we hope for Sunday and then, of course, for the last game against City.”
Sitting in eighth place in the table with two games remaining, Manchester United is under pressure to secure points against Newcastle and Brighton. Failing to earn at least four points would result in the club finishing the season with their worst ever Premier League points total, surpassing the 58 points achieved during the 2021-22 campaign. Ten Hag emphasized the importance of the upcoming matches, stating, “It’s a very important game against Newcastle. You see the ranking, so it’s very important to get the win.”
Manchester United’s position in the league is crucial as they need to finish in the top seven to qualify for European competition through their league position. Otherwise, they will have to win the FA Cup to secure a place in the Europa League. The pressure is on the team to perform and secure results in the remaining matches to achieve their goals for the season.