Erik Ten Hag has claimed that Manchester United summer signing Rasmus Hojlund is not yet fit for 90 minutes of football.
Ten Hag’s decision to substitute Hojlund in the 65th minute of proceedings didn’t go down well with Manchester United fans, as they booed him over the decision.
Erik Ten Hag brought on Anthony Martial for Rasmus Hojlund, intending to improve his side’s attacking input.
However, the Frenchman didn’t contribute anything worthy to Manchester United’s attack, following his introduction.
Martial had only 12 touches in 32 minutes, as he was rendered redundant by the defense of Brighton and Hove Albion.
Rasmus Hojlund was impressive throughout the 65 minutes he spent on the pitch of play, scoring a goal that was unfortunately ruled out by VAR.
The Denmark International’s goal was canceled after the ball was seen to have gone out of play before he converted brilliantly in the 41st minute.
The Dane is a promising forward who has immense qualities in attack, as he is pacey, technical, and has an impressive physical presence.
In a presser following the 3-1 loss to Brighton, Erik Ten Hag explained his decision to substitute the Danish forward.
He lauded Hojlund’s performance in the game, saying that the 20-year-old “performed very well”.
Is Rasmus Hojlund fit?
Rasmus Hojlund couldn’t feature in Manchester United’s first 3 games of the season due to injury and Ten Hag expressed that the attacker isn’t “ready for a whole game”.
Erik Ten Hag said: “He came in with a small issue, he is not ready for a whole game.”
The Dutch manager also noted that Hojlund was unlucky to have his goal chalked off, as it would have crowned an excellent afternoon for him at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag said: “He was unlucky with the disallowed goal, it would have been a great afternoon for him.
“It was not the case but he will keep going. He is a strong character as we are as a team and we will push back.”
Rasmus Hojlund joined Manchester United from Atalanta on August 5, 2023, for a fee of €75 million.
He made his Premier League debut for the Manchester-based club on Sunday, September 3, 2023, with a cameo appearance against Arsenal.
The ex-Copenhagen attacker was also impressive against the North London side, as he was a handful for the opposition defenders.
Hojlund also had a penalty call late in the encounter, which referee Anthony Taylor turned a blind eye to.
He is expected to lead the attack for the Red Devils on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, when Erik Ten Hag’s side kick start their Champions League campaign against Bayern Munich.
After the game in Munich, Manchester United then visit Turf Moor to play against Vincent Kompany’s Burnley, who have had a nightmare start to the season following their return to the elite division.
