In a blow to Manchester United’s hopes, two key players, Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez, are set to remain sidelined until Christmas, as confirmed by manager Erik ten Hag. Casemiro suffered a hamstring injury during a 3-0 defeat in the Carabao Cup against Newcastle last week, while Martinez is recovering from surgery to address a recurring foot problem. This means both players could potentially miss up to 10 games in various competitions.

The situation adds to Manchester United’s injury woes, with Casemiro and Martinez already on the long-term injury list. They join the likes of Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw, and Amad Diallo, with Jadon Sancho also unavailable due to disciplinary reasons. Follow your favourite Premier League team with attractive football betting odds from Nextbet. 

Ten Hag acknowledged the challenges of predicting return timelines for injured players, saying, “I have some time schedules, but it’s always difficult to expect that because they can have setbacks during rehab periods. Casemiro and Martinez are really strong injuries, I don’t expect them back before Christmas.”

However, there’s positive news on the fitness front as Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire are ready to feature in the upcoming Champions League match against FC Copenhagen. Rashford missed the recent Premier League match against Fulham due to a minor injury, while Maguire, despite suffering a head injury during the same game, has cleared concussion protocols.

Manager Ten Hag expressed confidence in their readiness, stating, “Marcus is 100 per cent ready. Harry did all the protocols during the game and after the game. He is ready to play.”

Manchester United is in need of a positive result as they face FC Copenhagen in the Group A clash at Parken Stadium. After a challenging start to their group stage campaign with losses to Bayern Munich and Galatasaray, United aims to build momentum.

Reflecting on their previous performance against Copenhagen, Ten Hag said, “They played a very decent game, and I thought we didn’t play a good game. But, still, we won. I think it was a deserved win, but we have to do things better. We are aware of that because you have to lift the performance if you want to get the result in.”

The inconsistency that Manchester United has displayed this season can partly be attributed to the absence of key players due to injuries. Manager Ten Hag remains optimistic about the team’s prospects, saying, “So far, we’ve had to change a lot. The midfield balance is also not there. I’m sure once we get there, we’ll play better.” 

The return of Rashford and Maguire could be a significant boost for the Red Devils as they seek to find their form in the competition. Get the latest updates from the Premier League only on Nextbet Sports.