Erik ten Hag says picking his team to face Barnsley in the Carabao Cup is causing him a “headache” as players avoid injury to be in contention.
The Red Devils will host League One side Barnsley at Old Trafford on Tuesday, just days after a 3-0 win over Southampton in the Premier League.
The Dutch side are hoping to go further in the competition to be in with a chance of collecting silverware this season, having already won the trophy in 2022/23.
But, Ten Hag, who had a headache for a different reason last season when many defenders were excluded, revealed new “headaches” in choosing the right team to plant after confirming that a large number of players will be available for selection.
“They are all available,” he said of Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez in a pre-match press conference. “Well, I hope I have a headache because I had a headache last year as well, but there are no players.
“So, I hope I have a lot of players available and we can pick and choose game by game. Definitely, we have to rotate because we have to play a lot of games so it’s not just about the starting XI.
“Luke Shaw, he is improving but he is not ready to be selected. We have a plan in our head when he is ready but you always depend on how the development will go. [As for] Ugarte, you will see tomorrow how it will be in this game.”
United have endured a shaky start to the 2024/25 campaign, winning twice and losing twice in their opening four games. After hosting Barnsley on Tuesday, Premier League action returns at the weekend with a trip to south London to face Crystal Palace on Saturday.
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