Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag was referring to injury problems in his squad when he said “it’s clear we have problems” after their penalty shootout Community Shield loss to Manchester City.
But Ten Hag knows the issue goes wider than that, which is why United are hoping to be able to confirm the signings of Bayern Munich pair Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui over the next few days.
United were seconds away from adding a Community Shield triumph over Manchester City to their FA Cup success against the same opponents on Saturday when their hopes were dashed in somewhat predictable fashion.
The sight of Bernardo Silva rising highest at the far post would normally have raised an eyebrow but the player he beat to the header was Facundo Pellistri, the Uruguay forward who spent the second half of last season at La Liga side Granada before heading to the Copa America – where he was part of his country’s run to the semi-finals.
With Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia still missing through injury, and youngster Harry Amass overlooked despite doing well on the club’s pre-season tour of the United States, Pellistri was the only option on the bench when Ten Hag decided to replace Harry Maguire after an hour and shift Lisandro Martinez to his normal central defensive role.
United can shrug off the damage caused at Wembley. But if it happens again when they open their Premier League campaign against Fulham at Old Trafford on Friday, the excuses will not be as easy to accept.
That is why the club are closing in on De Ligt and Mazraoui, who played for Morocco as a left-back at the World Cup even though he is more at home on the right.
“No, I can’t,” said Ten Hag, when asked if he could update on their arrivals and the expected departure of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who missed Saturday’s game amid a widespread understanding his move to West Ham is about to go through. “When we have some news, we will announce it. Until that point, we will work with the squad that is available.
“It’s clear we have problems and we have to work. The players have to work to be available and the staff have to work. Together it should be a good collaboration.”
Ten Hag said in the aftermath of last Saturday’s 3-0 friendly loss to Liverpool in South Carolina that United’s new hierarchy is “eager” to do business.
New chief executive Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox all watched proceedings unfold from the Royal Box.
However, it is clear the 90 minutes, plus penalties, was a brief break from what has been a busy summer.
“I am pleased with the new [boardroom] structure,” said Ten Hag. “We are working good together.”
Ex-Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane added on ITV: “They key for United is keeping the better players fit. The United squad is pretty strong, if they keep all their players fit – I would be pretty upbeat for the start of the season.
“I still think the manager would have wanted to see a bit more steel to see the game out. You would surely expect United to be challenging for the top four if players keep fit.”