Erik ten Hag has acknowledged the lessons learned from last season's predicament of having to field players who were not fully fit. The Manchester United manager is determined to avoid a repeat of such injury crises and has no intention of rushing Mason Mount and Rasmus Højlund back into action for Saturday's match against Crystal Palace. Mount, who started the Community Shield and the first two Premier League games, was withdrawn at half-time during the defeat at Brighton due to a hamstring injury. Meanwhile, Højlund has yet to make an appearance due to a similar issue. Mount's injury woes last season, his first after joining from Chelsea, saw him miss 30 games.
"Careful and top football – you always go to boundaries," Ten Hag remarked. "It's not avoidable, but when you have a full squad available, it's easier to manage the load. Last season, under necessity, we had to overload them." Ten Hag expressed his satisfaction with the progress of Mount and Højlund, noting that they are back on the pitch and in gym training. He emphasized the need to determine if they are fit enough to start but was pleased to have them back in the squad, especially given the upcoming密集赛程.
Reflecting on United's last visit to Selhurst Park in May, where they suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Oliver Glasner's team, Ten Hag acknowledged the stark contrast in circumstances. "We know the circumstances and you can't compare this. We didn't have a fit squad, we had even one or two players they were maybe up to 20% to play. But we had to play them. This time is totally different. We have a fit squad. We definitely have 18 players who are capable to go into this good challenge for us." When asked if a similar 4-0 defeat could occur again, Ten Hag confidently replied, "No, definitely not. It was clear. It was a 4-0 – totally deserved – but Saturday will be different."
