Manchester Evening News

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed an injury scare to Son Heung-Min ahead of the clash against Manchester United.

On Sunday, United will return to Premier League action at Old Trafford against Spurs. Erik ten Hag's side go into the game on the back of a 1-1 draw with FC Twente in the Europa League in midweek.

Spurs were also playing their first Europa League match of the campaign on Thursday night when they faced Qarabag in North London. Tottenham claimed a 3-0 win with goals from Brennan Johnson, Pape Matar Sarr and Dominic Solanke, with Radu Dragusin being sent off in the seventh minute.

However, after Solanke scored Tottenham's third, there appeared to be a fitness concern for Son. The Spurs captain received treatment moments after the goal before being substituted and replaced by Timo Werner in the 71st minute.

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou was asked about the potential injury scare to Son ahead of the clash against United this weekend. The Tottenham manager admitted he was unsure if the forward had suffered an injury with further tests by the medical staff to come.

"I haven't spoken to him," Postecoglou told reporters when asked about Son's fitness. "He said he felt a bit tired but I haven't spoken to him or medicals yet."

It remains to be seen if Son will be available to face United this weekend. Ten Hag and Co. will have their own injury concerns to deal with going into Sunday's clash at Old Trafford.

Leny Yoro, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, and Tyrell Malacia all missed the draw with FC Twente due to their respective injury concerns. Lindelof and Malacia are nearing returns, while Yoro and Shaw will not be back until later in the year.

Manchester United will be eyeing a return to winning ways when they face Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The Reds, who are winless in their last three meetings with Spurs, registered a second successive stalemate on Wednesday night, drawing 1-1 with FC Twente in their Europa League opener. Sam Lammers' second-half effort cancelled out Christian Eriksen's opener to secure the Dutch outfit a share of the spoils.

United will be determined to get back on track this weekend and record a third Premier League win of the campaign. Both themselves and Spurs have taken seven points from their opening five matches.

One of the few positives United took from the draw with Twente was the fact they navigated the game without encountering any fresh injury concerns. Manager Erik ten Hag, speaking on Thursday afternoon, did not report any fresh issues ahead of this weekend.

With that said, here is all the very latest on the injury front ahead of Sunday's tussle with Ange Postecoglou's side in M16...

Leny Yoro

Injury: Fractured metatarsal

Yoro, who joined United from Lille during the summer transfer window, fractured his metatarsal in the opening game of the club's pre-season tour of the United States. He required surgery and it was forecasted he could be out for up to three months.

However, as reported by the Manchester Evening News earlier this month, he is understood to be already walking without crutches, meaning his recovery is heading in the right direction.

Possible return date: November.

Victor Lindelof

Injury: Toe

Lindelof, who is out of contract at the end of this season, has not featured for United since he was taken off at half-time in their final pre-season friendly against Liverpool in the United States. Speaking ahead of the defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion last month, Ten Hag said he was hopeful the Swede could "return quickly".

However, the centre-back has not made it into a single matchday squad so far this season. He was involved in Tuesday's opening training session at Carrington ahead of the draw with Twente, meaning he could be available this weekend.

Possible return date: September 29 (Tottenham Hotspur H).

Luke Shaw

Injury: Calf

It was announced three days before United's Premier League opener against Fulham that Shaw would miss the start of the season with a calf injury. United, at the time, said he would be working towards the ambition of returning after the September international break.

However, the England international fell short of hitting that target. Ten Hag is now hopeful he will return before the October international break, if not just after.

"I think it's probably, but I can't say it's 100 per cent sure," Ten Hag said on Tuesday morning when asked if Shaw would be back next month. "The plan is just be back before but, as I say I can't say this for 100 per cent for sure it can be short after the break."

Possible return date: Mid-October.

Tyrell Malacia

Injury: Knee

Malacia has not featured for United since the final day of the 2022/23 Premier League season because of a knee injury. He has been working hard on his rehabilitation programme and Ten Hag said he could be back in contention within the next couple of months at the start of August.

Ten Hag explained: "He is not that far [off], but he is now in a progress situation. At a relatively short notice, he can again return into team training and then into team performance in games. I think it would be possible [to be available again] in two months."

Malacia has been back on the grass at Carrington and participated in the warm ups at Carrington on Tuesday.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag admits he is "impatient" in his quest to transform the team into a credible force.

United have won only three of their eight games so far this season and were held to a 1-1 draw by Twente in their opening Europa League match at Old Trafford on Wednesday night.

Tottenham head to United on Sunday as one of their main competitors for a top-four finish and United have scored a meagre five goals in their five Premier League fixtures.

United have invested more than £600million on signings since Ten Hag took over in May 2022 and there were some grumblings from supporters at the conclusion of the draw with Twente.

"When I started, we spoke about more we had to make standards in the dressing room," Ten Hag said. "I think we turned a corner and now we have to work with the squad. That takes time.

"Of course, it's not good behaviour from me, I am impatient, I want to go straight forward. But also be fair, we had success in the last two seasons and we have to work very hard for more success.

"I say it again: we won two trophies in the last two seasons and this season we are also ambitious, don't get us wrong, we want to win another one, we want to be as high as possible, in every game we will go for the win, it doesn't matter who the opponent is."

United have missed more big chances than any other Premier League side this term and Ten Hag reiterated that goalscoring is their biggest problem. "Not scoring goals. Not scoring goals enough," Ten Hag stressed. "That's the problem, that's the key area: to score more goals as a team.

"We have players across the team who have the abilities to score. But it's clear you see all the opportunities we've created, we've not scored enough.

"You always work into a season, you have to build it, the structures in defending, structures in possession, of course. You start with the build-up, I think we have the structures there quite right.

"Across all the games we have more possession than the opponent and then it's about what we do with the possession. We bring the ball into the final third, we bring the ball into the box a lot but we do a lot but we have to take advantage, more benefit of it."

United will have the same squad to choose from against Spurs with defenders Luke Shaw (calf), Tyrell Malacia (knee) and Leny Yoro (metatarsal) all still sidelined.

Spurs beat United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last season and claimed a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford, avoiding defeat to United in a campaign for the first time since 2013-14.

"I think it will be a very intensive game," Ten Hag added. "It always is against Tottenham and I think it's our style as well, I think it's gonna be a very dynamic, attractive game.

"Every opponent has strengths and weaknesses. Tottenham have their strengths, definitely. Their philosophy is very clear, very attacking, but that also leaves space but they take into account and that can maybe help.

"But you have to be very good against Tottenham. If you want to control the game you need again a high performance level then we will create again, and then take your chances."

OPINION: Ineos have stripped Ten Hag of his power at United - what happens next is inevitable

"When you are supposed to be the most powerful person in the building, that is not the aura you want to be carrying. That isn't Erik ten Hag's fault. It's a natural consequence of the way Ineos went about deciding his fate this summer. They conducted a public search for a replacement from early May onwards after deciding he was to be sacked, before publicly backtracking. Is it any surprise that the analysis of every negative day at United is framed around the man sitting in the dugout, rather than anything else? That isn't to say Ten Hag is blameless. His substitutes are becoming an issue and fundamentally he just isn't winning enough football matches. It is now three wins in eight after the draw with FC Twente on Wednesday and since the start of last season, this team has won 27 of their last 60 matches in all competitions. "

Click here to read more from Tyrone Marshall ahead of this afternoon's press conference.

This weekend's Premier League fixtures

After playing each of their last two Premier League fixtures on a Saturday, United will be back in action on a Sunday this weekend, facing Tottenham Hotspur at 4.30pm.

Here is a full rundown of this weekend's Premier League fixtures and kick-off times:

Saturday:

Newcastle United vs Manchester City (12.30pm)

Arsenal vs Leicester City (3pm)

Brentford vs West Ham United (3pm)

Chelsea vs Brighton & Hove Albion (3pm)

Everton vs Crystal Palace (3pm)

Nottingham Forest vs Fulham (3pm)

Wolves vs Liverpool (5.30pm)

Sunday:

Ipswich Town vs Aston Villa (2pm)

United vs Tottenham Hotspur (4.30pm)

Monday:

Bournemouth vs Southampton (8pm)

Hojlund will be pushing for a start

Having stepped off the bench in each of the last two games, Rasmus Hojlund will be knocking on the door in pursuit of his first start of the season this weekend.

The Dane made his long-awaited comeback from a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace last weekend and stored more minutes under his belt in the second half against FC Twente last night.

With United having scored just one goal in their last two games, Erik ten Hag might not have a choice but to deploy his star striker from the off on Sunday.

The Dutchman could be asked to rate Hojlund's chances of starting when he speaks to the media shortly.

OPINION: United have taken a £100m risk with their goalscoring problems

"Neither are strikers, either. As for the goalscorers, neither are consistent at scoring goals. Yet United invested £108.5million in Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee. Zirkzee now has one goal in seven games. His form would be a greater concern if it was not so predictable. 'Slow but top link, good footballer, drops back to play… not sure he scores enough goals,' messaged a manager who encountered Zirkzee in Italy. What you see is what you get. His and Hojlund's goalscoring records in Serie A for impressive teams outside the elite were not compelling pitches yet United committed to the long-term with both."

Click here to read more from Samuel Luckhurst ahead of this afternoon's press conference.

United's last five meetings with Tottenham

United failed to win either of last season's two Premier League meetings with Spurs, losing 2-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and drawing 2-2 at Old Trafford.

With that said, here is a reminder of how the last five meetings between the two clubs have unfolded:

United need to bounce back in two ways

Last night's 1-1 draw with FC Twente was a regressive step for United, both in terms of the result and their performance.

United were by no means outclassed by the Dutch outfit, but they did not do anywhere near enough to stamp their authority on a game they should have won without too many difficulities. Christian Eriksen admitted post-match that United's players felt Twente wanted it more, conceding that should never be the case at Old Trafford.

United lacked control and failed to impose themselves on the Dutch side in the way they should have done.

It means Erik ten Hag and the players will be under pressure to produce a much-improved showing against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, as well as being expected to secure a positive result.

Another below-par display will result in more difficult questions being asked.

Good afternoon!

Hello and welcome along to the Manchester Evening News' live coverage of Erik ten Hag's pre-Tottenham Hotspur press conference.

The United manager will face the media this afternoon to look ahead to Sunday's Premier League tussle with Spurs, less than 24 hours after last night's 1-1 draw with FC Twente in the Europa League.

As ever, we will bring you everything Ten Hag has to say from his sit-down chat with the media at Carrington.

There is no need to refresh the page, updates will appear automatically.

Manchester United were forced to settle for a point in the stalemate against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

United were held to a goalless draw against Palace in the top-flight clash at Selhurst Park on Saturday night. The Reds struck the bar in the first half with an effort from Alejandro Garnacho but failed to get on the score sheet for the second time across the last three Premier League fixtures.

Erik ten Hag's side will now rest up ahead of their first match in the Europa League next week against FC Twente. That will be followed by a return to Premier League action the following weekend, as United look ahead to a busy schedule before the next international break.

MEN Sport takes a look at how United's next set of Premier League fixtures looks compared to some of their rivals.

Manchester United's next five Premier League fixtures

Tottenham Hotspur (H) - September 29

Aston Villa (A) - October 6

Brentford (H) - October 19

West Ham (A) - October 27

Chelsea (H) - November 3

Aston Villa's next five Premier League fixtures

Ipswich Town (A) - September 29

Manchester United (H) - October 6

Fulham (A) - October 19

Bournemouth (H) - October 26

Tottenham Hotspur (A) - November 3

Chelsea's next five Premier League fixtures

Brighton (H) - September 28

Nottingham Forest (H) - October 6

Liverpool (A) - October 20

Newcastle (H) - October 27

Manchester United (A) - November 3

Tottenham Hotspur's next five Premier League fixtures

Manchester United (A) - September 29

Brighton (A) - October 6

West Ham (H) - October 19

Crystal Palace (A) - October 27

Aston Villa (H) - November 3

Newcastle's next five Premier League fixtures

Manchester City (H) - September 28

Everton (A) - October 5

Brighton (H) - October 19

Chelsea (A) - October 27

Arsenal (H) - November 2

Manchester United have been credited with an interest in several potential new signings despite the transfer window being closed.

United had a busy summer transfer window with five new signings being added to the squad. Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and Manuel Ugarte have all been signed to add further quality to the squad.

Erik ten Hag has now entered his third season as United manager and will also be determined to win his third major trophy since arriving at Old Trafford. United return to Premier League action after the international break this weekend when they travel to St Mary's to face Southampton.

MEN Sport takes a look at some of the latest United transfer news and gossip to generate headlines over the last 24 hours.

United reportedly showed an interest in signing Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero. According to TyC Sports, the Reds considered making an offer to sign the centre-back when the summer transfer window was open.

The report claims that United were joined by Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain in expressing an interest in signing Romero in the summer. It has also been stated that United even went as far as to contact Spurs about signing the Argentina international, but the enquiry was swiftly rejected.

Instead, United signed Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt to strengthen their centre-back options. Romero is contracted at Tottenham until 2027.

Elsewhere, United will reportedly face competition for the signing of Sunderland midfielder Chris Rigg. According to HITC, the Reds made an attempt to sign Rigg in the summer before he signed his first professional contract at the Stadium of Light.

Now, though, it seems that United will face increased competition for Rigg's signature. The report claims that Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund are among the clubs to have sent scouts to watch Rigg and have been left impressed by what they have seen.

Rigg has been tipped to follow in the footsteps of Jude Bellingham who left Championship club Birmingham City in 2020 to join Dortmund, before going on to sign for Madrid.

Homegrown star Scott McTominay may think twice about leaving Manchester United for Antonio Conte's Napoli this summer.

The Italian giants are reported to be interested in cutting a deal for the Red Devils midfielder, who has again been strongly linked with an exit from Old Trafford after approaches from Fulham. However, there's evidence to suggest the Scotland international may not have it easy working under Conte's care.

The 55-year-old manager – who clinched both the Premier League title and FA Cup trophy at Chelsea – saw his time in England marred by reports of division in his dressing rooms. Conte's last Premier League club was Tottenham, whom he left last year on a sour note after publicly criticising his squad following a 3-3 draw with Southampton.

Just prior to his departure in March 2023, The Guardian reported there were those at Tottenham who 'couldn't wait for Conte to leave'. The report quoted a source inside the Spurs dressing room, who claimed numerous players wanted him to leave after hanging his squad out to dry in the wake of disappointing results.

It wasn't only in north London that he supposedly encountered resistance from his charges, either, given there were rumours of dissent among the ranks at Stamford Bridge. After winning the Premier League title in 2017, The Sun reported certain Chelsea stars were 'exhausted' with the coach's training methods, which have a reputation for being especially gruelling.

"Around us, there is a lot of b******t," he told reporters at the time. "I see in the past it happened the same with a lot of managers. A lot of b******t. They try to create problems between me, the club and players."

It could serve as a warning to £30million-rated McTominay, who now has less than a week to find a new club if he is to move this summer. The 27-year-old wants to remain with his boyhood club, but it's understood United have been attempting to use the Scotland star as a means of raising funds this summer.

The Times have reported Napoli are keen on a loan deal, though that could prove tricky given he has only a year left on his contract (albeit with an option to extend the deal by another 12 months). It's also understood McTominay could play a big part in the puzzle to sign Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

Leaving United's ranks for Serie A would be a culture shock, to say the least, but joining Conte's corps in Naples could prove particularly testing. And one need only look at the manager's track record with English clubs to see why.

Manchester United now have less competition to sign Ivan Toney as Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly closing in on signing Dominic Solanke.

Rasmus Hojlund will spend six weeks on the sidelines, and the Reds are now linked with bolstering their attacking options and have seemingly set their sights on Toney. The 28-year-old Brentford star could be available for a bargain £40million as his contract with the Bees expires next summer.

Toney had previously rumoured with Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs, but with Arsenal exploring other avenues, Chelsea nearing a deal for Atletico Madrid's Samu Omorodion, and Spurs showing interest in Solanke, United's chances of securing the England international have significantly improved.

The Athletic reports that Solanke has agreed personal terms with Tottenham, who are close to wrapping up what could be a club-record deal for the former Chelsea and Liverpool forward. A £65m release clause is in his Bournemouth contract, and Spurs could offer a sum close to that fee.

Tottenham have yet to find a suitable replacement for Harry Kane following his £100m move to Bayern Munich last year. However, recent comments from Ange Postecoglou suggest that the delay is simply due to Tottenham waiting for the right candidate.

The Spurs manager emphasised the necessity of a specific striker profile during their pre-season tour in Japan, saying: "What's important is the type of striker we get. You know we play a certain way," and continued to stress the attributes sought after: "We demand certain things from a physical perspective from the technical aspects of it that it's going be a striker that fits that mould."

He also pointed out the current squad depth issues: "It's still the area of the park we're really probably the thinnest when I talk about squad-wise at the moment, so obviously that's a focus for us."

Manchester United now have less competition to sign Ivan Toney as Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly closing in on signing Dominic Solanke.

Rasmus Hojlund will spend six weeks on the sidelines, and the Reds are now linked with bolstering their attacking options and have seemingly set their sights on Toney. The 28-year-old Brentford star could be available for a bargain £40million as his contract with the Bees expires next summer.

Toney had previously rumoured with Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs, but with Arsenal exploring other avenues, Chelsea nearing a deal for Atletico Madrid's Samu Omorodion, and Spurs showing interest in Solanke, United's chances of securing the England international have significantly improved.

The Athletic reports that Solanke has agreed personal terms with Tottenham, who are close to wrapping up what could be a club-record deal for the former Chelsea and Liverpool forward. A £65m release clause is in his Bournemouth contract, and Spurs could offer a sum close to that fee.

Tottenham have yet to find a suitable replacement for Harry Kane following his £100m move to Bayern Munich last year. However, recent comments from Ange Postecoglou suggest that the delay is simply due to Tottenham waiting for the right candidate.

The Spurs manager emphasised the necessity of a specific striker profile during their pre-season tour in Japan, saying: "What's important is the type of striker we get. You know we play a certain way," and continued to stress the attributes sought after: "We demand certain things from a physical perspective from the technical aspects of it that it's going be a striker that fits that mould."

He also pointed out the current squad depth issues: "It's still the area of the park we're really probably the thinnest when I talk about squad-wise at the moment, so obviously that's a focus for us."

Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has admitted he sometimes forgets he used to manage Tottenham Hotspur.

Mourinho took charge of Turkish giants Fenerbahce in early June. The Portuguese had been out of management for six months after he was sacked by Roma in January.

Fenerbahce are the tenth club to be added to Mourinho's managerial CV - which includes two stints with Chelsea - and the former United boss is currently preparing his side for the 2024/25 season, with a Champions League campaign to look forward to should they make their way through the qualifying rounds.

Mourinho was asked about having to participate in the qualifying rounds for a European competition, something he initially claimed he had not experienced before. He then remembered he had taken charge of three qualifying matches with Tottenham to get them into the Europa League group stage, admitting he sometimes forgets he even managed the north London club.

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''This is not the first time for me, it is the second time. I sometimes forget about Tottenham, that I played with them in the qualifiers," he said.

"This is the second time this has happened to me, but it's the first time I'm starting the season in a summer month when there is a European Championship and a World Cup."

Mourinho left United in December 2018 and was replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on an interim basis before the Norwegian was handed the job on a permanent basis.