Two Manchester Players Injured in Lost Game With Arsenal
Manchester United faced a challenging start to their US tour as they lost 2-1 to Premier League rivals Arsenal in Los Angeles, with the defeat compounded by injuries to Rasmus Hojlund and Leny Yoro. Hojlund, who had given United an early advantage by scoring in the 10th minute from Marcus Rashford’s pass, was forced off the field with a suspected muscle injury just five minutes later. Shortly after, new £52m signing Yoro appeared to go down with an injury and had to be substituted despite significant treatment. This is prepared by SSP.
Manager Erik ten Hag expressed his concerns and hopes for the players' quick recovery, "We have to wait 24 hours and then we will hopefully know more. We were very careful, especially with Leny. It is disappointing he had to come off but let's be positive and see what comes out."
Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus equalised in the 25th minute, a goal that Ten Hag contested should have been ruled offside, before Gabriel Martinelli secured the win for Arsenal nine minutes from the end. Despite this setback, United had a consolation in a subsequent penalty shootout, which they won 4-3 with Jadon Sancho scoring the decisive kick.
The match brought back difficult memories for Ten Hag, who had lamented last season's injury problems. The previous season saw United suffering 45 separate instances of injuries, significantly impacting their defensive lineup. Ten Hag highlighted: "That's really too much. We are not the only team that struggled with injuries, other clubs had the same. There were constant injuries for players in similar positions, all at the back."
As United gears up for the upcoming season, the immediate schedule includes matches against Real Betis and Liverpool and a Community Shield showdown with rivals Manchester City post their FA Cup victory in May, with their Premier League campaign kicking off against Fulham on August 16. Ten Hag remains cautious and aware of the thin margins: "If you compare our squad with other top clubs in the Premier League, we are certainly a bit less in terms of depth. That is exactly why we found it so difficult to deal with injuries."
Additionally, the game was played on a specialized grass pitch, which will be removed after the event. Despite attempts to mitigate environmental impact by relocating the pitch, no successful arrangements have yet been made.