Man Utd transfer news: Erik ten Hag's new top priority after injuries and U-turn

Manchester United have returned from their pre-season tour of the United States with a number of injury concerns and a defeat against Liverpool that should still hurt irrespective of it being a warm-up.

And with 11 days to go before Erik ten Hag sends his team out to face Fulham on the Premier League ’s opening night, a remarkable U-turn is in the offing as outcast Jadon Sancho could start as the centre-forward for that match. Rasmus Hojlund is among the injured and Joshua Zirkzee is unlikely to be ready in time.

Meanwhile, Ten Hag has been robbed of another defender after young centre back Will Fish was stretchered off with his leg in a brace. Does that mean another attempt to bolster the ranks in the coming weeks?

Here is your round up of the big stories from Old Trafford.

Erik ten Hag has admitted Jadon Sancho may have to start the season up front for Manchester United.

With United forward Rasmus Hojlund out for six weeks with a hamstring injury sustained on the club's US tour, Ten Hag is short of options up front. Marcus Rashford prefers to play wide left, while captain Bruno Fernandes – who can play as a striker - is not back training after an extended break following Euro 2024.

United's new £36.5million striker Joshua Zirkzee has begun training back in Manchester, but Ten Hag said he is unlikely to be ready for the start of the season and will need time to adapt. That means Sancho, who was exiled by Ten Hag last season after the pair fell out and spent the second half of the campaign on loan at former club Borussia Dortmund, is likely to have to fill in up front for United.

And asked if Sancho was a viable option to start up front in United's Premier League opener against Fulham a week on Friday, Ten Hag left no doubt with his response.

Young Manchester United centre-back Will Fish was carried off on a stretcher during their 3-0 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday, and faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Fish, 21, was booked for his reckless challenge on Liverpool winger Harvey Blair but ended up coming off worse in the exchange. The defender stayed down and clutched his face as he was attended to by the United medical staff, who soon called for a stretcher to be brought on.

After his right leg was placed in a support brace, Fish was carried off the pitch and down the tunnel, but not before United boss Erik ten Hag went over to console him. Ten Hag spoke to Fish while on the stretcher, with the young defender looking distraught with the new season just two weeks away.

English football's two most successful clubs and fiercest rivals met in South Carolina – with Liverpool coming out on top against Manchester United.

Despite playing one game fewer in pre-season than Erik ten Hag's United, Arne Slot's Liverpool dominated at the Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, in front of a capacity crowd of 77,559.

Goals from Fabio Carvalho, Curtis Jones and Kostas Tsimikas gave Liverpool a deserved win over United, who struggled to match their rivals and suffered a chastening defeat ahead of the Community Shield against Manchester City on Saturday.