Striker Rasmus Hojlund and £52m new signing Leny Yoro both sustained injuries in the first half as Manchester United lost their opening US tour match to Premier League rivals Arsenal, 2-1, in Los Angeles.
Hojlund had put his team ahead in the 10th minute with a goal after racing onto Marcus Rashford’s pass, outmuscling young defender Ayden Heaven, and then scoring through goalkeeper Karl Hein’s legs.
The Dane missed a close-range opportunity by turning a low Aaron Wan-Bissaka cross wide, before appearing to suffer a muscle injury after 15 minutes that forced him to leave the field.
Yoro’s departure was similarly uneventful. The 18-year-old defender, who joined United from Lille just 10 days ago, went down and required extended treatment before also being forced to leave the match trang cá cược bóng đá uy tín.
Considering the significant injury issues that plagued manager Erik ten Hag last season, losing two key players in this way less than three weeks before United’s Premier League opener against Fulham at Old Trafford on August 16 is far from ideal.
“We need to wait 24 hours, and then we should hopefully have more information,” Ten Hag told MUTV.
“We were very cautious, especially with Leny. It’s disappointing that he had to come off, but let’s stay positive and see what the outcome is.”
Despite the promising start, the result was still unsatisfactory to the Dutchman.
Gabriel Jesus equalized with a close-range finish after 25 minutes, a goal Ten Hag was convinced should have been disallowed for offside. Substitute Gabriel Martinelli then dribbled past 17-year-old rookie full-back James Scanlon to score the winning goal.
United did win the subsequent pre-arranged penalty shoot-out, with Jadon Sancho converting the decisive spot-kick to secure a 4-3 victory.
Injury setback for Ten Hag
Ten Hag highlighted the demands being placed on players this season during his pre-match news conference, describing the campaign as a “survival of the fittest” and acknowledging that “injuries will happen.”
The reality likely surpassed his worst fears when Hojlund and then Yoro both suffered injuries during the match.
Hojlund seemed to pull his groin before heading straight down the tunnel. Yoro took a longer path after extended treatment, walking very slowly and showing evident discomfort.
Victor Lindelof was also sidelined with a minor injury, so 20-year-old Rhys Bennett, who was on loan at Stockport for the latter half of last season, stepped in to partner with Harry Maguire in defense.
While injuries were a setback, the positive takeaway for Ten Hag was the performance of midfielder Mason Mount.
The former Chelsea player, who spent as much time on the treatment table as on the pitch last season, looked sharp in front of over 60,000 spectators. Mount showed glimpses of his former self and appeared to be a genuine threat at times.
Arsenal hitting their stride
As with the match against Bournemouth four days earlier, Emile Smith Rowe was omitted from the Arsenal matchday squad while negotiations for a potential move to Fulham continue.
Riccardo Calafiori is anticipated to be announced as a new signing within the next 48 hours. With England duo Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka set to join once they return to London, Arsenal’s lineup will eventually look quite different from how it appeared in this game.
However, in certain moments, they displayed a fluidity in possession that their opponents struggled to match.
To his manager’s frustration, one promising move was cut short when skipper Martin Odegaard seemed to be fouled by Bennett without a free-kick being given.
Jesus was especially lively for Arsenal, and Martinelli, recently back from Copa America duty with Brazil, posed a threat from the moment he entered the game with 19 minutes remaining.
By then, Jonny Evans was the only experienced player in United’s defense, and the Brazilian capitalized on this to secure the win.
“After just one training session, he comes in and performs at that level,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. “That’s the mentality of both the team and the individuals.
“Gabriel looks exceptionally sharp. He’s made significant changes over the summer. You can see it in his appearance, his rhythm, and his sharpness.
“You can see the spark in his eyes. He now has something to prove, and that’s a positive thing.”
What was the condition of the pitch for the Arsenal vs. Man Utd match?
The game was held on a grass pitch specifically grown for the occasion, which will be removed on Monday to prepare the stadium for upcoming events.
Although stadium officials stated that the move was cost-effective, they admitted that efforts to find another party to take over the pitch have so far been unsuccessful when questioned about the environmental impact.