Ten Hag confident Man Utd will improve when big players return

Erik ten Hag is expecting an upturn in Manchester United's fortunes in the new year with Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Mason Mount expected to return to action soon.

It has been a bumpy second season in the Old Trafford dugout for the Dutchman, whose side have been eliminated from Europe and are already out of the League Cup, which they won in the 2022/23 campaign.

United's Premier League title chances are all but over before Christmas and Ten Hag's side need to build on last week's dogged 0-0 draw at Liverpool when they head to West Ham on Saturday.

The club have a number of doubts, but Ten Hag said their injury problems would ease over the coming weeks.

"We have some illnesses during the week so we have to see who is always available for tomorrow," he said on Friday. "Hopefully they are recovered but we have to see.

"(Casemiro and Martinez) are not available before Christmas, so that will be mid-January we expect them back.

"Mason Mount similar, into January. Harry Maguire, I expect him early on and Victor Lindelof is not available. He has had surgery so he will be out for a couple of weeks."

Ten Hag declined to give further details on Lindelof's issue.

The impending return of such players will be a boost for a United side deprived of so many options this season.

Amad Diallo and Tyrell Malacia have yet to feature while Jadon Sancho is banished from the first team after falling out with Ten Hag.

United have publicly indicated that it will be a quiet January transfer window and Ten Hag believes they have the quality in house to improve in 2024.

"The current squad I'm happy (with)," he said. "As we get our players back, I'm sure we have a good squad.

"I think a lot of the way it went in the first (part of the) season, the reasons behind (it are) because many players were not available.

"I'm sure when all the players are available on board -- it looks like, as I said, Casemiro will be back, Martinez will be back, Mason Mount will be back -- we will be much stronger after the winter."

United are seventh in the Premier League table after only one win in their past four games and have scored just 18 goals in 17 league games this season.