09 August 2023 , 11:05
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Erik ten Hag has downplayed fitness concerns over new Manchester United signing Rasmus Hojlund by confirming he will be available to play soon.
Hojlund is United's third signing of the summer transfer window after joining from Atalanta. Attack-minded midfielder Mason Mount completed his move to Old Trafford earlier this summer before the club also moved to sign goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter Milan.
The 20-year-old has signed a five-year contract with an option of a further 12 months with United paying the Serie A club £72million for his services. Ten Hag had been searching for a new centre forward all summer, with Anthony Martial the only recognised senior striker at the club.
However, Hojlund will miss the season opener against Wolves on Monday night for United as he is nursing an injury he picked up during his final few weeks with Atalanta. It is a notable setback for the Red Devils, who had been hoping to play their keynote signing from the start to familiarise the Dane with his new teammates.
A report in the Mail had suggested a more worrying situation in which an MRI scan had shown a stress fracture in Hojlund’s back. It is claimed that not only will that sideline the striker for several weeks, but it will limit him to just one match per week for a lengthy period of time to avoid a long-term setback.
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However, Ten Hag has looked to downplay such concerns by stressing that Hojlund is available to play – albeit he is not yet at full fitness. The United boss insisted that the striker would not be rushed but underlined how important it was to have depth in the position.
Hojlund was presented to Man United fans ahead of Saturday's friendly victory over Lens (Manchester United via Getty Imag) Have Your Say! How many goals will Hojlund score this season ? Tell us what you think here.
"Of course when he's available and he's here so you have the option to play, but we don't expect him in that short notice to be 100 per cent fit. So we have to wait sometime more. We need all positions doubled because of the number of games," Ten Hag explained on Sky Sports.
"We need the competition, you always have to deal with suspensions and injuries, with the form of players. Also from a technical perspective, we need double positioning and yes you need good players, but also every player needs perspective to play.
"I'm happy with the squad and I want a strong squad and competition in the squad so I'm happy with the current players who are in, so if we go with the squad into the season, that's fine."
Hojlund impressed in his debut season in Bergamo having joined from Sturm Graz last summer. He bagged nine goals and provided four assists in Serie A while also impressing his nation in the European Championships qualifiers.