Rasmus Hojlund and Leny Yoro were both forced off during Manchester United’s pre-season friendly against Arsenal in Los Angeles; Hojlund indicated he had a hamstring issue; Yoro limped off after lengthy treatment; Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus canceled out Hojlund’s opener.
Manchester United expect to know the extent of the injuries to Rasmus Hojlund and Leny Yoro within 48 hours after the pair had to be substituted in the first half of the 2-1 pre-season defeat to Arsenal in Los Angeles.
Hojlund had given United a 10th-minute lead when he latched onto Marcus Rashford’s pass to power a shot through Arsenal goalkeeper Karl Hein. The Denmark striker also turned an Aaron Wan-Bissaka cross wide from close range but then suffered a muscle injury after just 15 minutes, forcing his withdrawal.
The 18-year-old defender Yoro, who only joined United from Lille for £52m earlier this month, went down and needed lengthy treatment before he too had to leave the field. “We have to wait 24 hours and then we will hopefully know more,” Ten Hag told MUTV.
United are concerned about these injuries, especially given their goal of avoiding such setbacks during pre-season. Jonny Evans commented on the situation, expressing hope that the injuries are not severe, though muscle injuries like Hojlund’s hamstring issue are always worrying.
Erik ten Hag, who has emphasized the importance of fitness for the upcoming season, now faces the challenge of dealing with these injuries just weeks before United’s opening Premier League game against Fulham. The injuries scuppered a bright start for United in the SoFi Stadium, and Ten Hag was further frustrated by Gabriel Jesus’ equalizer, which he believed should have been disallowed for offside. Gabriel Martinelli then scored the winner for Arsenal.
Despite the loss, United did succeed in a pre-arranged penalty shoot-out that followed full-time, with Jadon Sancho scoring the winning spot-kick to seal a 4-3 victory. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised his team’s spirit after fighting back to defeat United and highlighted the importance of these pre-season matches in preparing for the league and Champions League.
Overall, Arteta expressed satisfaction with Arsenal’s preparations, noting the good spirit and foundation within the team and praising Gabriel Jesus’ pre-season form.
