Erik ten Hag already has concerns about Manchester United’s midfield and the most recent international news may add to this as Marcel Sabitzer could be joining the injury list.
Donny Van de Beek and Christian Eriksen are still absent, and Casemiro will miss the next three domestic games because of his second red card ban.
The only other choices were to use the infamous duo of Fred and Scott McTominay or combine one of them with loaned midfielder Sabitzer.
The Austrian has been in excellent form lately, scoring his first club goal in the epic comeback victory over Fulham in the FA Cup quarterfinal.
The Manchester United star then put on an electrifying performance for his nation as Austria defeated Azerbaijan 4-1, with him scoring twice and dishing out an assist while proudly donning the captain’s armband.
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Sabitzer’s improvement in form and confidence might be attributed to his loan move to the Red Devils, according to former United interim manager and current Austria coach Ralf Rangnick.
However, the German did note that Sabitzer’s status for the second and final game of the international break is uncertain due to an injury. He was substituted at the end of the Azerbaijan match with a knock, so the injury might not be serious.
Ten Hag will pray that Sabitzer’s Austrian opponent gives him some breathing room and doesn’t worsen his injury. Otherwise, he might be obliged to play McTominay and Fred with scant available support.
United will play three crucial games to maintain their third-place league standing. Next up are Newcastle, Brentford, and Everton.
To keep their place in the Champions League, United must continue to win because they are only one point and three points ahead of Tottenham and Newcastle, respectively.