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Erik ten Hag says Andre Onana will be fit, Luke Shaw will be in the squad and Rasmus Hojlund will be assessed tomorrow ahead of Manchester United’s Premier League clash with Everton on Sunday.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the game, the manager remarked “Andre is OK, he stepped in training today, he is good. Rasmus is still a close finish, he is training, outside, making very good steps but we have to wait until tomorrow, then we will make a final decision.”
On Shaw, he remarked “Luke Shaw will be available, he will be in the squad. You can mention many things – physical, technical ability, it’s clear. Long time this season we didn’t have a left full-back. Very happy he is back. He will help us be more stable.
The boss also said that Jonny Evans is not far away from fitness.
“He’s on the way back, he’s not ready for Everton, he will not take long,” he commented.
Asked about what he expects from Everton in their first match after learning of the 10 point deduction that has left them in the relegation zone, Ten Hag said: “I can see the opposition, they are mad.
“Finally it is about us. If they are mad, that’s their fuel, we have to match those standards. If we match those standards we have a very good chance to win the game.”
Asked about the reports of a rift with Raphael Varane, he said “I don’t know what the rumours are about. He’s a very important player. But there is a lot of competition.”
A reporter asked if Ten Hag feels he will need to sign a striker in January. “But our players are able to score goals, Rashy scored 30 goals last season, Rasmus Hojlund scored 5 goals in the Champions League, not many can do that,” he replied.
The manager also said he felt that United had reached a “turning point” after their lacklustre start to the season.
“Definitely we have seen a turning point. We’ve seen how we deal with certain situations and we’ve built a foundation,” he said.
“Every team will drop points but the last five games, we’ve won four and that has given us confidence going forward.
“We now have a massive month and we head into it with confidence as in the Premier League anyone can beat anyone. There are no easy games.
“We go in a week, very condensed, we play three games in six days. As a squad, we have to deal with that. Of course, we have a plan, a strategy for it, we make the players aware and they have to take responsibility for it but especially it’s about cooperation.”
Kick-off at Goodison Park is at 4.30pm GMT on Sunday.
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