Latecomers were making their way down the row at Old Trafford as the game was about to begin. And that was only in the box for the directors.

Mason Mount, Luke Shaw, Tom Heaton, and Rasmus Hojlund, all of whom were hurt and wearing Manchester United tracksuits, sat in the back row and observed.

United had to deal with 17 injuries at one time under Louis van Gaal. Van Gaal was accused of over-training the players by the fitness coach Raymond Verheijen, who would later become the bane of Jurgen Klopp’s life at Liverpool.

Van Gaal acknowledged it to be true and changed the intensity of his workouts while planning more rest days for United.

Under Erik ten Hag rather than Van Gaal, United is a lot more competitive squad. Due to how calm United’s practices were, fringe players participated for a significant amount of time with the Under-21s.Ten Hag rejects any similarities made between the two because he is not one of Van Gaal’s followers. However, there are disturbing similarities between the injury crises under Van Gaal and United’s current rash of ailments: since the start of the season, United has reported 10 injuries to members of the first-team squad.

Tyrell Malacia reported back to Carrington injured, Amad and Kobbie Mainoo left New Jersey and Houston on crutches, Lisandro Martinez suffered an ankle injury against Wolves, Tom Heaton is out with a calf injury, Luke Shaw is out for months with a muscular injury, Mason Mount won’t return until next month, Raphael Varane withdrew at halftime against Wolves, and Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay have missed games with a ”

Not to mention Rasmus Hojlund, who was nonetheless signed by United despite suffering a stress fracture in his back while working out with Atalanta.

Hojlund was not depicted in the training photos that United released on Tuesday, despite the fact that he was expected to be taking part in everyday team practices throughout that week. The club wouldn’t say whether or not he had trained. Hojlund also currently lacks a squad number.

As secretive as the Manhattan Project, United has been increasingly evasive about injuries. Last season, when Shaw pulled out against Brentford, he hid his mouth as he explained the situation to Ten Hag.

These days, it’s personal, so we can’t [disclose their injuries], Ten Hag remarked. Varane revealed Martinez had left the game against Wolves due to an ankle issue.

Varane is currently out “for a few weeks,” which is unclear given that United claims they anticipate his return in less than six weeks. Therefore, “a few” does not always refer to three.

According to United employees, among all the managers over the past ten years, Ten Hag has been the largest supporter of recuperation days. He believes they are crucial in determining a player’s potential injury susceptibility. The amount of a player’s weariness is measured by sensors that the medical staff places on their muscles.

Ten Hag acknowledged earlier this month that after just one game of the season, United’s players were worn out. “Absolutely. That is accumulated, not just pre-season. Once more, Fifa and Uefa, we must consider the calendar. It doesn’t help that there is now more time to add it all. It is not appropriate that we constantly raise the players’ load.

But that can’t be an explanation. Not at all, no. We must provide. I believe that all of the teams must handle it.

Prior to departing for the first leg of their preseason trip in New York, United conducted two training sessions at Carrington. Their itinerary in the US was dubious; it began on the West Coast and ended on the East Coast, with an eight-hour time difference that made jet lag worse.

Although there weren’t many double sessions in the States, United lacked energy in its unlucky victories over Wolves and Tottenham.

A informative discussion on United’s injury problems at the close of the previous season was shared on Twitter by sports and movements science student and Uefa C coach Guillaume Van de Wege.

His assessment of United was that they were “on the back foot (static), non-explosive in short bursts (pressing, acceleration), and their strikers are being overplayed while being given a ton of “PEAK MATCH DEMANDS.”

Some possibilities for number one include: poor player conditioning, an unfamiliar coaching staff, a lack of rotation, and undesirable personnel.

In 2019, Charlie Owen took over as the United’s fitness coach. Ralf Rangnick frequently bemoaned the lack of physicality in the squad, while Ten Hag noted sleep, recovery, and nutrition as three areas where United’s standards had fallen. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also instituted GPS monitors.

To blame Owen for the problems at United would be rude. Despite having familiar faces around, including Van Gaal’s personal fitness trainer Jos van Dijk, United nevertheless experienced their biggest injury crisis in team history. Similar conflict arose between Jose Mourinho and Carlos Lalin, one of his followers.

United has provided chapter and verse on novel physiological ways to improve the players’ fitness under nearly every manager. Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, and Jonny Evans were expected to have their “most available seasons” before to Van Gaal’s debut campaign.

In 2014–15, Smalling started 25 of United’s 44 games, Jones made 22 starts despite hamstring, shinbone, and ankle problems, while Evans made a pitiful 14 starts before being sent to West Bromwich Albion.

Evans’ physical fitness is still relevant. Due to a calf injury, he missed 27 of Leicester’s games the previous season. He is still wanted by Ten Hag to act as a backup center half.

According to dressing room sources, Solskjaer’s first season led to the United team being the fittest one they had ever fielded. Shaw and Anthony Martial had collapsed by the end of August, Marcus Rashford suffered a groin injury in September, and Paul Pogba’s never-ending ankle issue started.

Shaw, Martial, Pogba, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, and Jesse Lingard were all absent from the embarrassing 1-0 loss at Newcastle at the beginning of October. Rashford would grow angry with Solskjaer for putting him in danger.

One of the obvious problems is Ten Hag’s resistance to rotating. Five players appeared in more than 50 games last season, and the group, which included Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Casemiro, David de Gea, and Fred, all got the start against Real Betis in the second leg of the Europa League round of 16 when United was 4-1 up overall. Both Casemiro and Fernandes were one caution away from being suspended.

When Ten Hag discovered a winning formula in August and again in May as United got back to winning ways and qualified for the Champions League, the same lineup was used for three consecutive games.

Mount and Shaw succumbed to musculoskeletal injuries shortly after United were left unaltered from the defeat at Spurs two weeks prior. Mount is one of the most vulnerable players because he presses hard and is tireless off the ball. Additionally, because to groin surgery, he played just 13 times for Chelsea in 2023 when he joined the club.

Ten Hag would be more confident if United had the necessary team depth. The Dutchman is obviously not convinced by several players, so their inability to strengthen beyond the starting lineup with the transfer window still open for two more days could have serious consequences.

When McTominay was mentioned as a potential defensive-minded midfield option, Ten Hag made a brief remark before bringing up Mainoo unprompted. Victor Lindelof will start in place of Maguire against Arsenal. Five of McTominay’s most recent starts for United came during Casemiro’s suspension.

The seven adjustments Ten Hag made for the Europa League group stage matchup against Real Sociedad in September are the foundation of his selection philosophy. United’s 1-0 loss to Barcelona on a disputed penalty kick stopped them from winning the group, forcing them into a two-legged play-off in a congested February with eight games in 26 days.

The League Cup quarterfinal matchup against League One Charlton Athletic, which was played four days before the Manchester derby, saw Ten Hag make the most adjustments—eight—ever.

In the FA Cup fourth round home match against Reading, who were ultimately demoted from the Championship, Christian Eriksen and Casemiro got the start. Due to Eriksen’s April injury after a brutal foul by Andy Carroll, United was forced to sign Marcel Sabitzer as a midfielder on the final day of the transfer window.

Eriksen shouldn’t have been in danger, but Carroll, who also fouled Casemiro, was a wrecking ball in human form. It was a clear chance to rest a regular who had been visibly exhausted throughout the game. Eriksen played the whole 90 minutes of Saturday’s victory over Nottingham Forest, his first 90-minute performance since January.

Under Ten Hag, United has increased its investment in strategies for preventing injuries. With assistance from the sports scientists, an updated evaluation of the players’ workload for the previous day, week, and month will be made the day following a game. That allegedly influences roster choices and in-game adjustments, such as Eriksen’s frequent withdrawals at the hour mark.

According to statistics at United, the increased investment in medical, physiotherapy, and nutritional staff started to pay off during the preseason tour. Any periphery player promoted to first-team training must be strong enough to bear the rigors since training intensity has increased under Ten Hag.

In July, it was revealed that United intended to replace club physician Steve McNally with Arsenal’s head of medical services Gary O’Driscoll. Since McNally left the organization in December 2022, the club had been searching for a replacement. Jim Moxon, a former medical professional from Liverpool, took over as his interim replacement. Hojlund’s evaluation took longer since he was transported to London for in-depth back testing.

After a first season marred by injuries, Varane was gradually reintegrated into the first squad in August to manage his workload. Impact injuries caused his two layoffs in 2022–2023; however, his most recent setback is thought to be muscular in nature.

During Varane’s medical exam in August 2021, United raised a concern about his knee, and the papers had to be redrafted, delaying the announcement. Varane is United’s best defender, but despite having given up playing for his country after the World Cup, he is too frail. It is obviously obvious that United will require a starting center back in the upcoming summer.

Ten Hag acknowledged that several players “didn’t run” in the Spurs game. Although Shaw’s fitness was once criticized by Van Gaal, he only missed three games last season, and lengthy absences are becoming less common. Shaw jogged for Tottenham’s opening goal.

Others are dead ends. Martial, a frequent patient who last played the full 90 minutes in a Premier League game in January 2021, was given a hospital pass along with Ten Hag. Martial was only able to participate in 29 of United’s 62 games last season because to six different injuries.

United has some strong athletes. Since his arrival in January 2020, Fernandes has surprisingly never missed a game due to injury, and Casemiro has gone a full year without a setback. Ten Hag boasted about Casemiro’s fitness stats, yet Wolves and Tottenham outclassed him.

Only Ten Hag now has a specialist to call upon, so when Mount was out against Forest, he switched to Eriksen, another 31-year-old. That was sufficient to defeat a team that only won one of its 19 away league games during the previous season, but the window will be shut after Sunday’s game against Arsenal.

Having been unable to be persuaded by the Fiorentina midfielder for weeks, United might have acquired Sofyan Amrabat at that point. Their decision was forced by injuries.

The directors’ box is almost entirely full.