Erik ten Hag has suggested that Jadon Sancho could start the season as Manchester United's centre-forward to replace the injured Rasmus Hojlund.
Hojlund will miss six weeks with a hamstring injury he sustained during the opening game of the US tour against Arsenal. In his absence, Sancho, who returned to the squad after a 10-month exile, was deployed as a No9 in Wednesday’s 3-2 win over Real Betis and Saturday’s 3-0 defeat by Liverpool. And Ten Hag says he could start at centre-forward against Manchester City next week in the Community Shield, and against Fulham on the opening weekend of the Premier League season ahead of new signing Joshua Zirkzee.
“Yes, otherwise we wouldn't play him there,” said Ten Hag when asked if Sancho could start in attack against City at Wembley.
“That's what we can do if we don't have Rasmus available, but of course Joshua Zirkzee, he's coming in, he's started training, but also consider that he hasn't been training for that long, so that will take time, and he has to adapt to English football and our way of playing as well.
“Of course, there is also Jadon as a striker. We know he can play on the wings, but he is also an option as a false striker.”
Zirkzee, a £36.5m signing from Bologna, has yet to train with the squad after returning to Carrington following his summer break rather than joining the US tour. Sancho, who returned to United after spending the second half of last season on loan at Borussia Dortmund, has not scored a competitive goal for the club since May 2023.
Marcus Rashford is another option to fill the void left by Hojlund, but Ten Hag has hinted that the England striker will remain in his usual role on the left.
“I think Marcus has done it. [played as a striker] “I used to be able to do it and it was definitely an option,” Ten Hag said.
“But I think he's more productive from the left, starting wide and coming inside. So when he can get there, he's more effective. We have other options. We have Bruno Fernandes, who can also play as a striker.”
United struggled to score goals last season, netting 57 Premier League goals and finishing the campaign as the lowest-scoring team in the top half of the league.
Ten Hag's side also missed opportunities in the defeat to Liverpool in South Carolina on Saturday, with Sancho, Rashford, Scott McTominay and Mason Mount guilty of missing good chances.
“Liverpool played well and took their chances,” said Ten Hag. “We also created good chances, but we didn't take them. We need to be more effective and efficient in that aspect.”
“I think in the end it's like a tiredness. We've been here [in the U.S.] for 12 or 13 days and, in the end, it was a tough match and perhaps you lack the freshness and you don't have the power to be clinical.”
