"He deserves to play, but I can’t line up 12" - Ten Hag on leaving Manchester United star out of the XI to face Luton Town

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has revealed the reason behind Scott McTominay being on the bench against Luton Town on Sunday, February 18. He said that he can't start a game with 12 players.

The Red Devils are set to lock horns against Luton Town at Kenilworth Road in the Premier League on Sunday. Playing an away fixture against the Hatters, Ten Hag didn't name Scottish midfielder Scott McTominay in the starting XI.

McTominay has been in decent form for Manchester United in the ongoing campaign. The Scot has made 28 appearances for the Red Devils across different competitions this season, bagging eight goals and two assists.

He also scored the winner against Unai Emery's Aston Villa on February 11 (Sunday) at Villa Park, where they won 2-1. With only four minutes remaining in the match, McTominay scored a thumping header (86') on a cross created by Diogo Dalot.

However, the 27-year-old failed to secure a spot in the Red Devils' starting XI against Luton Town. About his decision, Ten Hag said that McTominay deserves to play and he has been in stellar form lately but he can't name 12 players in the lineup. He said (via the United Stand):

"He deserves to play, but I can’t line up 12. Definitely, he’s always in my mind during the week – how can we put him in the starting XI."

Manchester United are currently in the sixth spot in the Premier League with 41 points in 24 games before facing Luton.

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Manchester United are interested in signing 20-year-old defender: Reports

Erik ten Hag's Manchester United are reportedly looking forward to signing Benfica's Antonio Silva at the end of the season. According to Fichajes.net, Benfica can sell the 20-year-old because they want to boost their financial condition.

In the last few months, the Portuguese defender has caught the attention of several top European clubs. However, all the sides have failed to convince Benfica to sign Antonio Silva. The Portuguese defender reportedly has a release clause of €100 million.

However, the Red Devils will try to convince the Portuguese Giants to sell the defender for a rational amount. He has made 33 appearances for Benfica across different competitions this season, where he has also scored two goals. Os Encarnados are at the top of Liga Portugal with 52 points after 21 matches, equal to Sporting CP, who have a game in hand.

On the other side, Erik ten Hag will be looking forward to adding more firepower to the defense by signing young stars. He could look for potential replacements for Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire.