1 week ago
Manchester United’s rotten luck pinch injuries this play was possibly champion summed up erstwhile their ain Superman, Bruno Fernandes, missed a nine lucifer done wounded for nan first clip successful his master profession connected Monday night.
The Portuguese superstar is simply a warrior and is ever eager to conflict done nan symptom obstruction - notable erstwhile he had to grit his teeth to get done an FA Cup necktie astatine Nottingham Forest earlier this play aft being kicked astir days anterior successful a conclusion against Fulham, aliases erstwhile he bandaged up his manus during nan FA Cup semi-final against Coventry City.
His absence for nan 4-0 demolition astatine Selhurst Park made it 63 abstracted cases of wounded and unwellness to person hampered United this season, thing leader Erik 10 Hag continues to struggle to genuinely comprehend.
‘For complete 10 years I americium managing, I ne'er had this experience,’ nan Dutchman said recently.
‘So huge, truthful galore wounded issues, truthful I spot each my experience, it tin hap erstwhile successful 10 years. Hopefully now I person to hold different 10 to person truthful galore injuries to woody with.’
Bruno Fernandes was forced to miss his first crippled done wounded successful his master career
The Manchester United skipper sat retired during their thumping 4-0 conclusion by Crystal Palace
Erik 10 Hag, whose early astatine Old Trafford is nether important pressure, bemoaned nan spate of absences and claimed he had ne'er knowledgeable thing for illustration it successful his 10 years arsenic a manager
Twenty-five elder squad members person suffered astatine slightest 1 wounded this season, missing a mixed full of much than 1,200 days. Only Andre Onana, Diogo Dalot and Alejandro Garnacho person avoided a game-preventing injury.
Also, of his 110 matches successful charge, it tin beryllium based on that Ten Hag has only been capable to sanction his champion XI twice: against Wolves connected nan opening time and West Ham successful February. Fans person been near dumbfounded while it’s led to much than 1 raised eyebrow down nan scenes astatine United.
There has been a beardown emotion among immoderate sources that said to Mail Sport that nan strength of Ten Hag’s training, peculiarly for players returning from lengthy lay-offs, has played a facet successful re-aggravation. The number of high-intensity sessions has besides irked some.
Ten Hag has dismissed those claims erstwhile pressed connected them, insisting he needs robust players to triumph astatine nan apical level.
‘No, we don't train excessively hard. We request to beryllium fit,’ he told Sky recently.
‘The standards successful this league, you request to beryllium fit, different you can't lucifer nan standards that are required successful a game. We don't train excessively hard.’
He added: ‘You request very robust players - that is nan requirement.
‘When we were astir Christmas pinch a batch of injuries and past you person to bring them back, but successful nan infinitesimal they are free from wounded they are not going to beryllium lucifer fit. They are not consecutive backmost into nan form, that besides needs a mates of games earlier you get backmost successful nan rhythm.
‘I deliberation we person much players who are very robust, arsenic Bruno [Fernandes] is, but that is nan type of subordinate you need.’
The truth is, if United had 18 Fernandes’ successful their squad nan ‘crisis’ would beryllium acold little pronounced than it is. Expect ‘robustness’, some physically and mentally, to beryllium precocious connected INEOS’ wishlist for caller recruits.
United person already taken what they judge to beryllium basal steps guardant pinch their accommodation to adjacent nan spread connected rivals and limit nan scope for nan type of wounded situation being knowledgeable now.
A hyperbaric enclosure - which tin importantly velocity up betterment times for wounded - was added conscionable a fewer months ago, pairing pinch nan cryotherapy chambers already successful place.
Even anterior to Ten Hag’s presence successful 2022, United undertook an upgrade overhaul of bedewed betterment areas specified arsenic pools, crystal baths and saunas.
And yet what Sir Dave Brailsford and nan INEOS squad quickly discovered is that a awesome woody much activity needs to beryllium done to elevate United and bring them person to rivals who boast existent state-of-the-art facilities. The occupation astatine Carrington feels for illustration it is only conscionable getting started.
Manchester United are group to transportation retired a awesome overhaul of their training crushed this summer
Sir Dave Brailsford (left) has been cleared by Sir Jim Ratcliffe (right) to redevelop Carrington
Mail Sport exclusively revealed multi-million lb plans to overhaul Carrington arsenic a training installation successful a bid to alleviate crises to this standard successful future.
A caller ‘pre-activation and subordinate performance’ area is astatine nan centre of nan redevelopment, pinch nine sources hoping that nan caller warm-up area will thief little nan risks of players picking up costly knocks.
Pre-activation tin see nan usage of guidance bands and foam rollers pinch its superior purpose to summation humor travel to muscles done activities specified arsenic skipping and jogging.
Players will besides return portion successful move mobility exercises, specified arsenic lunges, which unfastened up areas specified arsenic nan knees and hips to assistance rotation and transportation retired a bid of stretching routines. A specialised abstraction whitethorn good play a cardinal domiciled connected a regular basis.
A batch of nan scrutiny astir nan sheer measurement of injuries suffered by United this play is landing astatine nan doorway of Gary O’Driscoll, United’s caput of sports medicine. His presence from Arsenal, wherever he spent 14 years and became a cardinal confidante to leader Mikel Arteta, represented a awesome coup and he has been tasked pinch elevating United’s sports subject department.
O’Driscoll, a lifelong United fan, helped to lead an soul reappraisal astatine nan backmost extremity of 2023 into section flaws and wherever strides could - and must - beryllium made.
The Irishman joined from Arsenal pinch a estimation arsenic being 1 of nan astir progressive doctors successful nan Premier League.
He has extended acquisition of top-level athletics having worked pinch nan British Lions, Ireland Rugby, Saracens and British Cycling and Mail Sport understands he is incredibly celebrated successful nan dressing room already.
Ten Hag’s squad are said to person a awesome woody of respect for O’Driscoll fixed his assemblage of activity and nan proposal internally is that galore of nan cases of wounded person been rotten luck, alternatively than a systemic nonaccomplishment down nan scenes.
In fact, 1 root put it down to nan accumulation of games station Covid yet catching up pinch United, pointing retired only Barcelona could compete pinch nan 62 games United were put done past season.
Robin Sadler, United’s long-standing caput physiotherapist, near successful January arsenic portion of a shake-up and much cardinal moves are expected to travel arsenic O’Driscoll, who is leaning connected figures specified arsenic physio Richard Merron and nine expert Jim Moxon, continues what has been described arsenic important rebuilding activity to get United backmost to par.
Mail Sport antecedently reported really O’Driscoll has been pushing for nan employment of younger practitioners who tin instrumentality newer methods and a forward-thinking attack to sports medicine.
United head of sports medicine Gary O’Driscoll (right) pictured successful 2019 while astatine Arsenal
The move comes amid interest down nan scenes that United's rivals are importantly much precocious successful position of sports medicine, putting nan Old Trafford nine astatine a disadvantage successful position on-the-pitch performance.
Ten Hag has been arsenic guarded pinch nan findings of nan soul reappraisal arsenic he is whenever he is quizzed connected nan quality of a player’s injury.
‘We person an thought and we will activity connected it,’ he said. ‘Internally, we will woody pinch it.’
Whether nan Dutchman is astir to spot nan fruits of a season’s study and study remains to beryllium seen - but if he is, United are hoping they tin return a elephantine stride to becoming nan champion successful class.
