Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui will be in the Manchester United squad for their opening Premier League game of the season against Fulham at Old Trafford.
United bought centre back De Ligt and right back Mazraoui in a £60million deal from Bayern Munich in midweek and the duo are in contention to make their debuts. Left back Luke Shaw (calf) has been ruled out until September, fellow left back Tyrell Malacia (knee) is not expected back until October and centre half Leny Yoro is out until late October at the earliest due to a fractured metatarsal.
United manager Erik ten Hag did not specify if the squad had incurred any more injury setbacks since they drew with Manchester City in the Community Shield last week.
“Issues are there but it’s not about the players who are not available, it’s about the players who are available,” Ten Hag said. “We have a good group, we can make a strong selection, we can put out a strong team and we will do.
“They (De Ligt and Mazraoui) will be in the squad. And Harry Maguire will be in the squad as well.”
Ten Hag stressed Shaw’s absence is short-term. The 29-year-old has not played for United since February 18 yet he appeared three times for England at the European Championship before sustaining an injury on his first week back at United.
“I think he will return in the short-term, doesn’t take long,” Ten Hag clarified. “We are looking forward, of course. Luke Shaw is a very important player for our team so he’s massive, important, we want to get him back as soon as possible but we can’t force this process.”
United started the Community Shield with seven players who travelled on the pre-season tour of the United States, with four more starters who were involved in the latter stages European Championship and Copa America.
Mazraoui was not on international duty during the summer and De Ligt did not play a minute for the Netherlands in their run to the semi-finals of the Euros. Joshua Zirkzee is yet to make his debut, having arrived from Bologna in a £36.5m deal last month, and Ten Hag reiterated United’s pre-season was compromised by the summer international tournaments.
“No, it’s true, it’s not the pre-season where you can in five or six weeks work on the team,” Ten Hag admitted. “It’s very complicated.
“But we had the USA tour squad, we add players at the Euros and Copa America, now new signings and now we have to make a team from it. That team is not ready but the league starts.
“More managers have to deal with this problem, we definitely have this problem. But we have some rules, some principles, we have to make a start, can’t hide, we can’t run away from it, we have to deal with it.
“We know our targets, we know that we are in the right direction, we know we have won two trophies, we know our game model, so now we have to integrate the new players and if they can improve the game model and improve the team levels. And take it from there. I have always very high expectations but we want to go for trophies.”