Erik ten Hag has cautioned that the escalating number of fixtures poses an 'almost unavoidable' risk of injury for top players, as Manchester United prepares for their inaugural match in the revamped Europa League. The expansion of European competitions and the upcoming extended Club World Cup have sparked increasing worries about players' workloads. Manchester City midfielder Rodri recently suggested that players might strike in response to the mounting fixture congestion, just days before the Spain international reportedly sustained a season-ending knee injury.
United kick off their European journey at home against Twente on Wednesday in a 36-team Europa League format, where each club will play eight matches. 'The format, I think we have to take this experience and then judge,' Ten Hag stated during a pre-match press conference on Tuesday. 'There are too many games. It's clear. Too many competitions,' he added. 'For the top players, they are overloaded and this is not good for football.'
Ten Hag emphasized that while the increased fixtures might be beneficial for commercial interests, there is a limit. 'It's almost unavoidable that players get injured because of the overload from so many games.' When asked about potential solutions, the Dutchman noted, 'I think as a club alone you can't change this. It's more about the total industry...' Ultimately, he acknowledged, 'At the end of the day, it's financial. Also we are professional, so revenues have to come, but we have to balance this out.'
United's recent performance has been mixed, with a goalless draw at Crystal Palace leaving them with just seven points from five Premier League games and outside the top 10. However, this followed a 3-0 win at Southampton and a 7-0 League Cup victory over Barnsley. 'Concerned? We create a lot of chances in the first games of the season,' said Ten Hag. 'Last week we scored seven against Barnsley, so we are capable of scoring many goals. But it's a part of the game we have to be better in, we have to improve and kill more in the box.'
Ten Hag will face Twente, a club where he came through the youth ranks and had three spells as a player before transitioning into coaching with the Eredivisie side. 'Of all the teams, Twente is the team that I follow the most,' said Ten Hag. 'I watch them as a fan, as a supporter, not as an analyst. It's a different way of watching their games...' He added, 'I would have preferred to have played against somebody else. It's not nice to have to hurt something you love.'
