MANCHESTER, England — Erik ten Hag has warned his players that Manchester United's improved squad means they are not guaranteed a squad for every game.
United have spent more than £130m ($170m) to sign Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui over the summer.
There remains a chance that Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte could also arrive before the transfer deadline.
Jadon Sancho was unable to be called up for the 1-0 win over Fulham due to an ear infection he picked up in the build-up to the game. And Ten Hag says that with more options at his disposal, there is a chance high-profile players may have to sit out.
“We have a team and I hope we have a double-positioned team and when we go into the season, that also means you can't select all the players for one game but you need all of them for the whole season because this season will be the survival of the fittest,” Ten Hag said at a press conference on Thursday.
“We have to manage it, but the attitude of the players is also very important. Sometimes they will be disappointed, but they have to face it.
“You don't win with 11 players. You win with a team. The awards will be decided next May and until then we need all the players on the team to be highly motivated to contribute.”
“It's not an expectation, it's a demand from the club and from me as a coach towards the team. The team is always more important than any individual.”
United have closed the bulk of their summer business, although negotiations continue regarding the signing of Ugarte.
Ten Hag declined to give details of the deal but revealed that the club is still working to further strengthen its squad.
“We will always try to put together the best team possible,” said the Dutchman. “We have a couple of days and whenever we get the chance we will go for it.”
“We know that as a club we have to make up for lost ground, but that shows our ambition, the path we want to follow. We have done good business, we have had very good players, quality players who will add to and contribute to our squad.”
