This will be Manchester United’s fourth preseason game against Aston Villa, and the team news has been released.
In their fourth pre-season game, Manchester United will face Aston Villa, and Erik ten Hag says he will not use the field as an excuse.
In place of the injured Scott McTominay, Ten Hag has brought in Donny van de Beek and Luke Shaw ahead of summer signing Tyrell Malacia in the starting lineup.
Only on the bench, Raphael Varane returns to the squad, and James Garner makes his first appearance in a matchday squad of the summer.
Before the forthcoming Premier League season, United will be looking for another strong showing, and Ten Hag expects the same from his team in Perth.
In an interview with MUTV, he predicted that his team would face “stronger opponents” this time around. A new system to face, I am eager to see how we act, what level of quality we can produce on the field and mentally, because it is the final game of the tour, there is always a little bit of fatigue. Whether or not the players can stay focused, collaborate and act as a team is the primary concern.
It’s hard to play against (Villa’s) set-up because they have good players and a solid squad.” That’s why I’m interested to see how we deal with them.”
Ten Hag agrees that the pitch’s condition could influence the outcome of the match, which has been widely discussed.
“It’s a great stadium,” he continued. Unfortunately, our football also requires a high-quality pitch, and this one is not up to the task. There are times, however, when the pitch isn’t quite there. “Our team must perform well if we are to succeed.”