Having already lost Luke Shaw to what appears a season-ending injury, Erik ten Hag’s problems worsened on Friday when star striker Rasmus Hojlund joined his team-mate in the treatment room.
Manchester United announced that Hojlund, who has been the most in-form striker in the Premier League since Christmas Day, is out for up to three weeks with a muscle strain.
Anthony Martial is already out following groin surgery, leaving United without a recognised striker until Hojlund returns.
United are now going to have to get creative to cope with the race for the top four, which sees them fighting with Aston Villa and Tottenham, leaving little margin for error now.
Rasmus Hojlund is facing up to three weeks out after picking up a muscle sprain in training
It means that Erik ten Hag is without a recognised No 9 ahead of a crucial run of matches
The Dane is set to miss up to five games, starting with Fulham’s visit to Old Trafford on Saturday followed by the FA Cup tie against Nottingham Forest, the Manchester derby and the league games against Everton and Sheffield United.
Hojlund’s form has played a major role in United’s turnaround in their season. The last game he missed, at Forest at the end of December, was the last time United lost.
The upturn has revived Ten Hag’s hopes of a top-four finish as well as a good run in the FA Cup after an injury-hit first half of the season.
His injury means he joins Mason Mount, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Lisandro Martinez, Shaw and Tyrell Malacia on the sidelines.
It is not just the absence of Hojlund which hurts United, it is that his absence will lead to a reshuffle across the attack.
With Hojlund through the middle, Marcus Rashford off the left and Alejandro Garnacho deployed down the right, United have played seven, won six and drawn once.
In six Premier League games together, United have scored 16 goals with that trio leading the line, working out to an average of 2.67 per game.
With any other attacking combination – used in 28 matches – United have lost 14 times, winning on 12 occasions and drawing the other two with 19 goals from 19 Premier League games.
And so Ten Hag now needs to find a system that does not disrupt the rhythm they have found since the turn of the year. He can ill-afford to see Hojlund’s absence decimate the good work done in recent weeks.
Mail Sport takes a look at some options available to the Dutch boss…
RASH ATTACK
Marcus Rashford through the middle is the only logical solution it feels like.
It is a position he has played ample times before – although he prefers playing off the left – and any alternative would be wholly unorthodox for Ten Hag.
During the 2022-23 campaign Rashford scored an impressive 30 goals in all competitions and is more than capable of replacing the goals in Hojlund’s absence.
Ten Hag had to turn to Rashford in his first season at Old Trafford as the central striker, especially after the explosive end to Cristiano Ronaldo’s time at the club.
Marcus Rashford is the most obvious replacement having previously played down the middle
It is not a position he likes but with United short on options he may need to embrace the role
‘[Playing on the] left makes it easier to stay in the game,’ Rashford told Gary Neville on the Overlap last year.
‘When I was younger I always wanted to be involved in the game and thats why I think I struggle with playing centre forward sometimes, because of my patience. You might not touch the ball for 20 minutes and then your first touch might be an opportunity to score.
‘You have to be mentally switched on. It’s almost like a goalkeeper; you might be in the game for god knows how long, but when it’s time to make a save then you have to make it.
‘I never enjoyed that aspect of it [playing centre forward] but as I’ve got older I’m starting to enjoy it a little bit more.’
Like it or not, he’s going to have to carry the responsibility, starting with this weekend at home to Fulham.
What it does throw up is who goes on the right, with Garnacho expected to slot down the left side.
Amad Diallo, 21, has been waiting patiently for his opportunity while Bruno Fernandes has been used there previously, scoring a brilliant volley down that side away at Burnley.
Omari Forson (middle) is a less experienced option but he did come on away at Wolves
Should Mason Mount recover in time, he is another option in a wide area, while Antony has found himself out of favour but now may need to be recalled.
Another option available would be to promote academy star Omari Forson to the starting XI.
He has been a regular fixture on the bench in recent weeks as United look to show him a pathway into the first team as contract negotiations rumble on.
Forson came on up top in the 4-3 win over Wolves, which could work in his favour.
Ten Hag is going to need to settle on a front three in a desperate bid to build some chemistry with crucial games in the Premier League and the FA Cup on the horizon.
UP TOP SCOTT
If, for one reason or another, Ten Hag wants to stick with Rashford down the left and Garnacho down the right, one option could be to stick Scott McTominay up top.
It makes McTominay laugh when he is told how he used to be a striker in the academy in his younger days.
‘People always said: “You played as a striker as a kid.” I never played as a striker,’ he told club media back in October.
‘I played two games there with [former Reserves coach] Warren Joyce because we had no striker. So, whenever I score a goal, people always say: “He used to be a striker, that’s why.”
Scott McTominay (right) is joint-top scorer in the league for United this season with Hojlund
‘I never used to be a striker! I’ve always been a midfield player, a No 8, so it is funny when you hear stuff like that.’
The key nugget in there is that McTominay leading the line, given his sizeable frame, has been used in case of emergency before.
As United’s joint-top scorer in the Premier League this season – level with Hojlund on seven – he sure knows where the goal is.
This solution would allow Rashford and Garnacho to continue their momentum in their left and right wing roles respectively, while also keeping Bruno Fernandes in his preferred No 10 role.
FALSE NINE FERNANDES
If Ten Hag wants to go rogue, there is the option for Fernandes as a false-nine.
It was a position the Portuguese was handed by former interim boss Ralf Rangnick, to limited success.
Fernandes has some of the key skills to effectively be a false nine, dropping back into midfield and drawing defenders out of position to allow Rashford and Garnacho to exploit from out wide.
Bruno Fernandes (right) has all the attributes to play as a false nine should Ten Hag eye change
Ethan Wheatley (left) and Charlie McNeill (right) are traditional No 9 options in the academy
He could force, for example, one of Fulham’s centre backs into uncomfortable positions by stepping out, leaving space in behind for the wingers.
In theory, that’s an option, but Fernandes’ tactical discipline has been called into question on more than one occasion and that would be a concern as the focal point of the attack.
He hasn’t scored a league goal since November and has looked out of sorts since the turn of the year.
Staying at No 10 or being pushed to the right feels a more likely scenario but never say never.
ACADEMY CURVEBALL
Now, if Ten Hag really wants to throw a curveball he could look to the academy set-up for his next forward.
Charlie McNeill, who was on loan at Stevenage for the first half of the season, is back at the club, while 18-year-old forward Ethan Wheatley scored for the U21s against Manchester City on Monday night.
Both would represent a huge risk but United have previous with chucking young strikers in and having immediate success – look at the early days of Rashford or the explosive debut of Federico Macheda.
Nonetheless, there is a spot on the bench for one of these two now the front line has been left threadbare.
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