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Manchester United have been in an injury crisis virtually all season, and especially in defence. The situation seemed to be taking a turn for the best in recent weeks, but after the last two games, Erik ten Hag is back to where he started.
The previous two games against Londoners Brentford and Chelsea in that order have been disappointing in terms of both results and injuries.
Lisandro Martínez, who was only making his return since February, played the closing stages of the Brentford game only to go down with a calf strain in training two days later, and he will be sidelined for a month.
The game against Chelsea saw two central defenders in Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans go down with injuries.
Varane had to be brought off at half-time nursing a knock.
His replacement in Jonny Evans could only manage 20 minutes, and he too had to come off in the 66th minute for young defender Willy Kambwala.
Manchester United have another do-or-die game on Sunday against bitter rivals Liverpool, and it may not be a pretty scene with United being without 7 key players, most of them defenders.
Most of the defensive unit is in injury crisis, considering left backs Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are both nowhere near making a return to the senior team.
Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martínez, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans all picked up knocks in the past week and face a test of time to be fit by Sunday.
If no good luck smiles on Erik ten Hag, he heads on to face Liverpool with only one fit senior centre back in Harry Maguire, which frankly is a recipe for disaster against Klopp’s relentless Reds.
Erik ten Hag is also operating with only one recognized striker in Hojlund as Martial continues to recover.
