Erik ten Hag was questioned about Donny van de Beek’s predicament during his press conference prior to the Premier League match with Everton. The midfielder finds the run-in with his former team to be too soon.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gave Van de Beek limited chances in recent years. The 25-year-old midfielder will have had some hope with Ten Hag’s hiring, but Van de Beek hasn’t been much of a presence either this year. He appeared in just nineteen minutes in twelve games for Ten Hag.
Van de Beek was permitted to sub for the first three Premier League games in the final few minutes of those fixtures. But after those contests, he sat out for a stretch of contests, during which he suffered a minor ailment. Ten Hag stated on Friday afternoon that the man was out for a few weeks due to a muscle issue.
Donny van de Beek’s injury update by Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag
“Donny is back on the practice field right now. He is working, but he is doing it alone, He hasn’t joined the group training yet. So we’ll have to wait until he does. He must obviously be in good shape. Of course, that is a disadvantage right now,” the United boss stated.
“Donny has been here for the past 2.5 years. He’s done a very decent job of preparing. Chances will present themselves,” Ten Hag assured. “He entered the game against Brighton and did well. But you have to be accessible. If not, you won’t be allowed to claim a starting position. He needs to get in shape before competing for a position.”
Van de Beek will compete for a spot against the likes of a number of midfielders. None of them have managed to establish a name for themselves under previous managers. However, Donny van de Beek’s inability to find gametime, despite the worrying quality of alternatives does sound worrying.
