Erik ten Hag says 3 Manchester United stars could miss FA Cup clash against West Ham due to injuries

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has provided an injury update ahead of their FA Cup fifth-round clash against West Ham United at Old Trafford on Wednesday (March 1).

Striker Anthony Martial is set to miss the clash while left-back Luke Shaw and midfielder Fred could also be unavailable.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Ten Hag said:

"Anthony Martial is not available. Luke Shaw and Fred are questions for tomorrow."

Martial, 27, has had a tough season in terms of injuries. He has made just 14 appearances across competitions, suffering from different injuries throughout the season. The Frenchman last started a game in a 3-1 win over Manchester City in the Premier League on January 14. He played 27 minutes in United's 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the EFL Cup on February 1.

Shaw and Fred, meanwhile, both featured in Manchester United's win over Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final on Sunday (February 26). However, they are not yet completely cleared to feature against West Ham in the FA Cup on Wednesday.

The Red Devils come into the game in terrific form after their first trophy win since 2017 as they lifted the EFL Cup on Sunday. West Ham, meanwhile, also had a confidence-boosting victory in their previous game as they beat Nottingham Forest 4-0 in the Premier League on February 25.

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Erik ten Hag on bouncing back from a poor start at Manchester United

Ten Hag was appointed Manchester United manager before the start of the 2022-23 season. His reign at the club started in abysmal fashion after defeats against Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford.

However, the Dutchman has turned things around and has led the Red Devils to silverware in his first season at the club. Speaking about the turnaround, Ten Hag said (via Manchester Evening News):

"I know from experience from previous jobs it takes time before you get into a way of playing. before you get into the rules and the principles, you get routines into a team and, time is not always going with the right results."

He added:

"So when the right results weren't there at the start of the season. I didn't panic because I knew it was part of the process. You find out, you learn a lot in those weeks, when you lose it's not nice, you hate to lose. But you also get some good lessons and you get a view of what are the opportunities, what are the deficits and you can work on that and the way you play."

Manchester United are third in the Premier League table and have also reached the Round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League.