30 December 2023 , 16:39
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Rasmus Hojlund will miss Manchester United's match against Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening due to illness, it has been confirmed.
The Danish striker, 20, has endured a difficult start to his Old Trafford career but finally scored his first Premier League goal for the club on Boxing Day during the dramatic 3-2 win over Aston Villa.
However, he will be unable to build on that against Forest due to illness. Brazilian winger Antony comes into the team in the only change from the side that beat Villa.
Despite struggling for goals in the Premier League, Hojlund quickly opened his account in Europe after signing from Atalanta in the summer and plundered five goals in the Champions League before United were dumped out of the tournament earlier this month.
He was praised by Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag in the build-up to Saturday's match against Forest, with the Dutchman reiterating that his faith in the young striker never wavered.
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“I have to repeat myself but I trust him, I knew he could [score in the Premier League],” Ten Hag said in his pre-match press conference.
“His goals in the Champions League and in Denmark showed what he did as a young player in Austria, in Italy and he is a very strong character. But, of course, this goal will give him confidence and belief that he is going to score and he is going to score more goals from this point on, I am sure.”
Join the debate! Will Man Utd miss Hojlund against Forest? Let us know here.
Hojlund finally broke his Premier League duck against Aston Villa on Boxing Day (Offside via Getty Images)United's rousing fightback against Aston Villa - where they overturned a two-goal deficit - has sparked optimism from some fans that a corner has been turned following the club's worst start to a season in decades.
Ten Hag admitted he was far from pleased with United's season so far but commended the mentality his players have shown in recent weeks ahead of the match against Forest.
He added: “No team can deal with as many setbacks as we had. The number of points we are not satisfied with but have to be pleased. When we have all the players back and we proved it against Liverpool, Arsenal, Villa, with determination and the right mentality, we can beat anyone.”