Rasmus Hojlund is fighting for a start for Manchester United, but he might not be ready to start either of the games the following week.
Rasmus Hojlund is eager to start matches for Manchester United after his impressive cameo at the Emirates before the international break, and this week will be the ideal test for the 20-year-old.
On Saturday, he might face 18-year-old Evan Ferguson, the other incredibly gifted striker in the league, while on Wednesday, he might face Harry Kane, arguably the game’s most complete striker and the guy United looked at before switching to Hojlund.
It’s going to be an exciting few days, but an injury might prevent Ferguson from playing at Old Trafford, and Hojlund might not be deemed ready to start twice in as many days for his new team.
The £72 million striker has generated a lot of excitement since joining United at the beginning of August, and his absence only increased that excitement as Erik ten Hag’s team struggled to find a spark in the middle of the field as the Dane healed from a back ailment that limited his preseason.
The patience paid off at Arsenal, where Hojlund attempted to physically challenge Gabriel, shown his lightning speed, and displayed a deft touch to set up the move that resulted in Alejandro Garnacho’s goal being disallowed. It was an energetic and focused display that stood in stark contrast to Anthony Martial’s return to the starting lineup against Nottingham Forest and later against Arsenal.
Fans now want to see the former FC Copenhagen and Sturm Graz striker from the beginning, but due to the back ailment that kept him out of much of Atalanta’s preseason, he was cautiously handled after joining. He played in his first game in three months against Arsenal.
Hojlund was a substitute for Denmark in both of their Euro 2024 qualifying matches, playing 30 minutes against San Marino and then a half against Finland. This arguably gives the greatest indication of Hojlund’s current fitness levels. He is still developing his athleticism for matches.
Hojlund will have benefited from those international appearances, and he must be on the verge of making his United debut right now, especially with Martial having struggled recently. Another question is if he is prepared to start consecutive games.
That might require Ten Hag to select the game in which he wishes to use Hojlund. Does he reserve him for a Champions League night with high ticket sales at the Allianz Arena?
