Ralf Rangnick reveals Man United now have just 14 players fit with Harry Maguire injured and Jadon Sancho sick, as he calls for stars to impress Erik ten Hag with ‘talk of the top four being unrealistic’
- Manchester United host Chelsea in the Premier League on Thursday evening
- Ralf Rangnick will be without a host of senior players for Old Trafford match
- Captain Harry Maguire has a knee problem while Jadon Sancho has tonsillitis
- Paul Pogba, Fred, Edinson Cavani and Luke Shaw are also sidelined
- Rangnick said United ‘must be realistic’ about their remote top four chances
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Manchester United will have just 14 fit senior players for Thursday night’s clash with Chelsea with Harry Maguire and Jadon Sancho the latest to join a lengthy injury list.
Captain Maguire has a knee issue and winger Sancho is suffering from tonsillitis, with Paul Pogba, Fred, Edinson Cavani and Luke Shaw also ruled out.
United’s interim manager Ralf Rangnick has already written off his team’s chances of finishing in the top four and qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has suffered a knee injury and will miss Thursday night’s match against Chelsea at Old Trafford
United’s interim manager Ralf Rangnick urged realism over the team’s top four prospects
But their hopes of finishing a thoroughly underwhelming season on something of a high in the final four games will be diminished by a number of key absentees.
Rangnick said: ‘Fred is not yet available. He trained yesterday but I had a chat with him and he said he’s not fully fit.
‘It doesn’t make sense to play him too early, so he won’t be available.
‘Harry Maguire – it’s not a big thing but he didn’t train yesterday. Paul, obviously, Fred, Edinson, Luke Shaw and Jadon. He has tonsillitis and couldn’t train yesterday.
‘We will try to play the best possible team of the players available.’
With matches against Chelsea, Brentford, Brighton and Crystal Palace left to come, and United needing to make up six points to Arsenal in fourth, Rangnick urged ‘realism’ about their situation.
He said: ‘I don’t think it makes sense to speak and speculate about the Champions League. We need to be realistic.
‘Even if we win four games, it’s not in our hands. Even for next season, it’s important to finish on the best possible note.
‘We have four more games to play. The next two are at home and obviously we will try to get as many points and win as many games as we possibly can.
‘In order to do that, we need to play on the best level we possibly can. We know if we play well, it’s possible to win the game tomorrow.’
More to follow.
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