Manager says Manchester United star ‘probably not’ ready for 90 minutes – May not even start next game
In a recent article, we discussed Manchester United’s efforts to manage the playing time of Rasmus Højlund, who had encountered an injury during his medical examination. The club had been cautious with his minutes, only allowing him to make a brief appearance for the final 40 minutes of the 3-1 loss to Arsenal.
Manchester United has been in communication with the Denmark national team to coordinate Højlund’s playing time. According to manager Kasper Hjulmand, it appears that the limit for his playing time is approximately an hour, as reported by Bold.dk.
Following Denmark’s 4-0 victory over San Marino, Hjulmand was asked about the fitness of the young striker and Andreas Christensen, as well as their potential to start in the upcoming game against Finland. While there is a desire to see Højlund shine for his country, Hjulmand emphasized that he would not take any risks.
He stated, “They are both in contention. Andreas is definitely ready for 90 minutes, while Højlund probably isn’t. Therefore, the question is whether we should start him or bring him on later. He hasn’t had a full preseason and only trained for a week before playing against Arsenal.”
“It’s not expected that he can play a full 90 minutes at full intensity, so there are considerations about that. They are both in contention for a starting position. If you’re fit to start, you should be capable of playing for an hour, or else I won’t do it. Now, we’ll return home and assess everything.”
We will need to wait until Sunday to determine the extent of Højlund’s progress and whether Manchester United has given clearance for his significant involvement in the game against Finland.