Unnamed Manchester United player dropped from pre-season game by Erik ten Hag for being late twice to meetings - Reports 

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag reportedly dropped a player from a pre-season game as a form of punishment for being late to team meetings. His identity is not yet known to the media or the public.

According to The Athletic, the Dutch manager planned on using the player in one of their pre-season friendly games from their tour to Thailand and Australia. However, he was left out of his team for not showing up on time for two team meetings.

The player in question hasn't been named, but it is said that both David de Gea and Bruno Fernandes have backed the decision.

In doing so, Ten Hag mirrored Louis van Gaal's modus operandi, where the latter took action over arrivals that were even just seconds past the designated time of reporting.

The 52-year-old sees tardiness off the pitch in a negative light as he believes it can bleed into a player's performance on the field.

Manchester United are now done with their 18-day pre-season tour. They started off the month with a 4-0 win against Liverpool in Thailand before flying out to Australia. The tour Down Under got off to a perfect start with a 4-1 win against Melbourne Victory.

United then beat Crystal Palace by a 3-1 scoreline. The star performer during this time was Anthony Martial, who bagged a goal in each of these three games.

The only blemish on their pre-season record this month was the 2-2 draw against Aston Villa. The Red Devils led the game 2-0 but a second-half goal from Leon Bailey and a stoppage-time equalizer from Calum Chambers meant the spoils were shared. The draw prevented United from having a perfect pre-season winning record.

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Ten Hag impressed by Manchester United youngster Alejandro Garnacho

Pre-season is the time for youngsters to make an impression on the manager, and Alejandro Garnacho has done just that.

According to Fabrizio Romano (h/t Old Trafford Faithful), Ten Hag is impressed by the Argentine wonderkid and Manchester United want to offer him a new contract. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said:

“Ten Hag is really convinced of the skills of this boy (Garnacho). Lets see if Man United will decide to keep him or send him on loan during the window.

He added:

“But the idea of the club is to offer him a new contract. It’s also approved by the manager. Contract discussions will be ongoing with Garnacho.”

Charlie Savage, Zidane Iqbal and Hannibal Mejbri were three other youngsters frequently used by the Dutchman this month. It remains to be seen if the midfield trio will be given minutes in the senior team next season.

United have lost the likes of Paul Pogba, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, and Nemanja Matic this summer, leaving a gaping hole in midfield. With Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong's arrival looking uncertain, Ten Hag could be forced to look at younger options in midfield.