Exclusive: Ten Hag ‘Set to Hand Man Utd Player Debut’ vs Southampton
Exclusive: Ten Hag ‘Set to Hand Man Utd Player Debut’ vs Southampton
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is seriously considering whether to throw Manuel Ugarte into his starting line-up when the Old Trafford giants make the trip to Southampton on Saturday if the summer recruit returns from international duty without any issues, GIVEMESPORT sources have revealed.
Although the Red Devils forked out more than £180million on reinforcements ahead of the transfer window slamming shut last month, they are preparing to make the journey to the south coast having suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion and arch-rivals Liverpool.
Ugarte was among the fresh faces to arrive at Manchester United, thanks to completing a switch worth up to £50.5million from reigning Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain a matter of days before the deadline, and he is desperate to make an instant impact in his new surroundings.
Ugarte On Course to Make His Red Devils Bow
Hope remains that defensive midfielder can be involved from start
Manchester United sources have informed GMS that Ugarte is in line to make his debut against Southampton this weekend, despite previous concerns over how much time will be required for him to work his way up to full fitness, and there is even hope that he will be in a position to start the Premier League encounter.
Although the defensive midfielder made 37 appearances in all competitions last season, the Red Devils’ pursuit and his willingness to embark on a fresh challenge resulted in him being starved of game time as he was overlooked by PSG head coach Luis Enrique during the early stages of the current campaign.
That has resulted in there being concerns that Ugarte may need to be eased into action by ten Hag, but Manchester United insiders have insisted that the Dutch tactician is excited about the energy that the new signing will bring to his side as they look to recover from a defeat to Liverpool which saw Casemiro hauled off at half-time.
Manuel Ugarte’s statistical averages per 90 minutes during the 2023/24 domestic campaign compared to Casemiro
Manuel Ugarte
Casemiro
Pass completion percentage
91.2
81.8
Percentage of dribblers tackled
48.3
48.1
Tackles
4.56
3.77
Interceptions
1.86
0.82
Blocks
1.26
3.36
Clearances
1.16
3.23
Statistics correct as of 10/09/2024
The 23-year-old has spent the international break away from the Red Devils’ Carrington training ground due to being called up by Uruguay despite his lack of involvement this season, meaning he has not been able to build relationships with his new teammates, but he is on course to return in the coming days.
Ten Hag’s determination to hand Ugarte game time at Southampton comes after GMS sources recently revealed that he is poised to make his Manchester United bow at St Mary’s as a result of proving that he has maintained good fitness levels with his performance in a World Cup qualifier against Paraguay last week.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Manuel Ugarte has been sent off four times over the course of his senior club career, which is the same number of goals he has scored
Uruguay Poised to Manage Ugarte Work-Load
Big-money recruit currently preparing for World Cup qualifier
GMS sources have been told Uruguay are aware that Ugarte’s work-load needs to be carefully managed when they face Venezuela on Tuesday night, having played the majority of the goalless draw against Paraguay, as they do want to risk him picking up an injury so soon after his move to Manchester United.
The former Sporting man – who has won silverware in Portugal and France during the early stages of his career – is on course to be involved as his homeland find themselves with Argentina being the only side ahead of them in their World Cup qualification group, and there is an awareness that three points will keep them in a strong position.
Ugarte will travel back to Manchester to reunite with his new teammates after the trip to Venezuela, and GMS sources have learned that the Red Devils will assess his condition to get a better understanding of what his capabilities are for the weekend before ten Hag makes a final decision on whether to include him in the starting line-up.
