"Casemiro and Martinez are seriously injured, I don't expect them to be back before Christmas," coach Ten Hag shared at a press conference before the fourth match of Group A Champions League between Man Utd and Copenhagen, which will take place early tomorrow morning (3:00 a.m. November 9, Vietnam time).
Casemiro suffered a hamstring injury and will be out for at least a month (Photo: Getty).
Casemiro suffered a hamstring injury in the match against Newcastle on November 2. Initially, the Brazilian midfielder was thought to need one to two weeks to recover from the injury, but the latest diagnosis from the "Red Devils" medical team confirmed that he will have to rest for a longer period.
Meanwhile, centre-back Lisandro Martinez's ankle injury suffered against Arsenal in September is worsening and he is set to undergo a second operation to completely fix it, meaning coach Ten Hag will have to find someone to replace the Argentine star for at least 10 weeks.
"I have been informed about their recovery progress, but it is difficult to expect them to return soon," said coach Ten Hag.
Previously, the "Red Devils" did not have the services of Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw and Amad Diallo due to injury. Meanwhile, striker Jadon Sancho was removed from the squad after publicly criticizing coach Ten Hag.
Therefore, the injuries of Casemiro and Martinez put Man Utd in a difficult position in competing for a ticket to the knockout round in Group A of the Champions League as well as a top 4 position in the Premier League.
However, the Dutch strategist also reported good news that Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire are ready to play as the injuries they both suffered last weekend were relatively minor.
Center-back Lisandro Martinez is preparing for a second surgery to treat an ankle injury he suffered in September (Photo: AP).
"Rashford is 100% ready. Maguire was fully tested during and after the match against Fulham. He is also ready to play," said the 53-year-old coach.
Man Utd must win against Copenhagen in the away match on the opponent's field to keep their hopes of qualifying for the knockout round alive. After 3 rounds, coach Ten Hag's team is ranked third with 3 points, 1 point less than Galatasaray in second place and 6 points behind the leader Bayern Munich.
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