Man Utd boss Ten Hag expects ‘many players to return in January’; addresses Onana ‘situation’

Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag has confirmed that “many players” are set to return to fitness in January as he previews their match against Nottingham Forest.

A high volume of injuries has not helped the Red Devils’ poor first half of the season as Ten Hag battles to keep his job.

Man Utd have been knocked out of both the Champions League and League Cup already this season and Ten Hag’s men currently sit seventh in the Premier League table.

Ten Hag will be in better spirits this week, though, after his Man Utd outfit came from 2-0 down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 in their last Premier League match, while the Dutchman has revealed a number of his players will return in the new year.

“It will be a similar squad [for the trip to Forest] as we had against Villa,” Ten Hag said in his press conference on Friday.

“Mid-January we expect many players back. Mason [Mount], Casemiro, [Lisandro] Martinez, [Tyrell] Malacia.

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“We expect Harry Maguire, of course. We expect many players to return in January.”

Nottingham Forest, who are the next opponents for the Red Devils on Saturday, got their first win under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo on Boxing Day when they beat Newcastle 3-1 at St James’ Park.

On facing Forest, Ten Hag added: “With them, you see the reaction with a new manager is coming in. You see the spirit, we have to be ready for that.

“It’s always about us but be aware of it, be aware they have the right spirit. Of course, they built the confidence but that is what we did as well and we have to continue in the performance.”

The trip to the City Ground could prove Andre Onana’s final Man Utd appearance for a while after the goalkeeper was named in Cameroon’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Ten Hag said of Onana: “Could he be available for the Wigan FA Cup tie? The situation is that we’re talking, we have good relationships with all the federations. It’s also about Sofyan (Amrabat) and Hannibal”

Rasmus Hojlund scored his first Premier League goal of the season in the 3-2 victory over Aston Villa and Ten Hag insists he never doubted the Man Utd striker.

Ten Hag continued: “I trust him, I knew he could, his goals in the Champions League showed he could. What he did as a young player in Austria and Italy. This goal will give him belief he’s going to score more goals from this point on.”