Ferdinand tells Sir Jim Ratcliffe 5 ways to improve Man Utd awful injury record

Rio Ferdinand has given Sir Jim Ratcliffe five ways to improve Manchester United's horrendous injury record next season.

Erik ten Hag's side were without 10 first-team players in their 4-0 humbling by Crystal Palace on Monday night. Injury absences have been a recurring headache for the Dutchman this season.

Red Devils fans have been scratching their heads to try and find the source of the problems and Ferdinand believes there are at least five improvements that can be made.

'I think you can say maybe a bit of training, but I just think sometimes it's bad luck as well.' He said on his Vibe with FIVE podcast before the Selhurst Park defeat.

'You've got to look at the training, the nutrition, the loads that they put through the training sessions, that's got to be looked at.

'But also sometimes it's down to bad luck as well. I would definitely be looking and analysing through data, all those areas. Nutrition, the loads through training, the amount of training, the time in training and also game time and game load.

'Is [Erik ten Hag] putting too much on players through too many games? I don't know, it's difficult. That's the job of INEOS, to go in there and to check out that data and to find out because it has been a problem. We can't have this repeated next season.'

Mail Sport reported last week that the club are set for a major overhaul of their Carrington training ground this summer as Ratcliffe seeks to transform the fortunes of the Premier League giant.

Substantial works are planned at the training ground, with the marginal gains fingerprints of sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford clear to see.

At the centre of the multi-million pound redevelopment will be a new ‘pre-activation and player performance’ zone.

The plans will also see a huge increase in the amount of natural light that pours into the building thanks to a series of giant new windows around the exterior, along with more modern, open plan office spaces as United’s new execs attempt to plot a return to the top.

On Monday, the Red Devils fielded a back four of Diogo Dalot, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Johnny Evans and Casemiro, such was the scarcity of their available options.

Oliver Glasner's side, in particular Michael Olise, made the visitors pay with four unanswered goals that inflicted a record 13th league defeat of the campaign.

United sit eighth in the standings and are in real danger of failing to qualify for Europe.