Ten Hag hints at plans for winter break
Erik ten Hag has outlined the plans for his Manchester United squad during the forthcoming winter break, the Premier League’s first since 2020.
After Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, the Reds are not in league action until 1 February, when we visit Wolverhampton Wanderers, though there is an Emirates FA Cup fourth-round tie to contest before then, on 28 January.
And Ten Hag says some of the players who have played a lot of football recently will be enjoying a well-earned rest in the coming days, while suggesting training will continue for those returning from injury.
That latter group will likely include Lisandro Martinez, who made a welcome return from a four-month absence when he came off the bench against Spurs, and Casemiro, who was fit enough to be named among the substitutes.
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Luke Shaw, who has missed the last three games with a minor problem, was also set to return against Ange Postecoglou’s side but was forced to withdraw late on, while other players on the mend from longer-term injuries include Victor Lindelof, Mason Mount and Tyrell Malacia.
“There are players just returning who need training,” Ten Hag told us after the Spurs draw. “They need hard work to get fitter and to get closer to the team.
“But there are others who played so many games in 2023 who need a break. They need some refreshment and energy.
“Next week we come together and from that point on we have to go from game to game, from battle to battle, get energy and have the right attitude, as today, and see where we end.”
Last season Ten Hag took his players to Cadiz during the World Cup but he revealed recently that the squad would be staying at Carrington this time.
“It's a different season,” he said, in his pre-match press conference before December's trip to Nottingham Forest. “Last year there was the World Cup and so we went there with a group of players who were not involved in the World Cup.
“We gave them some weeks off before, but now it's totally different and the players are loaded in games.
“So we have to make a very good programme about giving the players rest, time to relax, but also to set the right programme to prepare for the second half of the season.”