Erik ten Hag says Man United's Sabitzer could make his debut tomorrow
Erik ten Hag confirms Marcel Sabitzer IS available to make his Man United debut against Crystal Palace tomorrow – and insists the on-loan midfielder ‘knows the job’ as he prepares to stand in for Christian Eriksen
- Erik ten Hag confirmed Marcel Sabitzer is available to play Saturday’s match
- The Austrian midfielder joined Manchester United on loan from Bayern Munich
- Despite just one training session since joining, ten Hag confirmed his fitness
Marcel Sabitzer is ready to make his Manchester United bow when they host Crystal Palace on Saturday, according to Erik ten Hag.
In a pre-match press conference ahead of the Premier League clash, the manager confirmed that the Austrian midfielder was immediately available after his loan move from Bayern Munich.
Ten Hag told reporters that Sabitzer was ‘very good’ on his arrival, adding: ‘Of course, he did only one session but you can see he’s a very fit player and I didn’t have different expectations, coming from Bayern Munich. Germans, their fitness is always good. I think he is ready to play.’
When the Dutch manager was pressed about whether the 28-year-old former RB Leipzig player was likely to start against the Eagles, ten Hag was less drawn.
He said: ‘I think he’s a really smart player and I think we gave him some guidance but he knows what to do, he knows the job.’
Marcel Sabitzer is available for Man United on Saturday after his loan move from Bayern
Erik ten Hag confirmed the Austrian midfielder had just one training session since joining
Sabitzer was photographed with his new Man United teammates during a training session at Carrington, as previously reported by Sportsmail.
The late nature of his move from Germany to the north of England came as a surprise to his Bayern Munich teammates, including striker Thomas Muller, who said he expected it to be just a short spell for the Austrian in Manchester.
Muller said: ‘He’ll be back in the summer. The chapter isn’t over yet.’
However, the Red Devils had to act quickly to replace their star man Christian Eriksen, who was ruled out for up to three months with an ankle injury.
In the middle of January, Man United drew 1-1 at Crystal Palace, with Michael Olise scoring the equaliser for the hosts in injury time.
Speaking before Saturday’s rematch, ten Hag said he hoped to see improvement from his squad of players. He said: ‘We have always to focus on the game, no matter what, it is our job. That is why we are here, we have a lot to do against them.
‘Two weeks ago, a bad performance there, I wasn’t happy with the performance from us, was 90% focus and energy, and we dropped two points.
‘Tomorrow we need a better game, better focus in the game, better conduct in the way of play because we have to beat them because that’s quite clear.’
Sabitzer’s late move from Bayern Munich to Manchester surprised his Bundesliga teammates
United acted quickly after Christian Eriksen was ruled out for three months with an ankle injury
The Dutchman later added: ‘It’s always difficult to say before, but we know a lot from them, they know a lot about us.
‘We were really unhappy with our game at Crystal Palace, so I demand a much better performance than in London, so we have a good chance to win.’
Man United come into Saturday’s fixture after three consecutive wins in cup competitions, but their last Premier League outing saw them downed 3-2 by leaders Arsenal at the Emirates.
The Red Devils remain fourth in the table, which would help them back to the Champions League.
After hosting Crystal Palace, ten Hag’s squad face back-to-back Premier League matches against Leeds United, before their Europa League quest continues again in Barcelona.
Michael Olise’s 90th-minute equaliser secured Crystal Palace a dramatic point two weeks ago
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