MX23RW : Thursday, December 26 02:15:06| >> :120:64663:64663:
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Wigan logo
FA Cup | Third Round
Jan 8, 2024 at 8.15pm UK
The DW Stadium
Manchester United logo

Wigan
0 - 2
Man Utd

FT(HT: 0-1)
Dalot (22'), Fernandes (74' pen.)

Erik ten Hag provides Rasmus Hojlund fitness update ahead of Wigan Athletic clash

Ten Hag provides Hojlund fitness update ahead of Wigan clash
© Reuters
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag confirms that Rasmus Hojlund is available for Monday's FA Cup clash with Wigan Athletic.

Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has confirmed that Rasmus Hojlund is available for Monday's FA Cup clash with League One outfit Wigan Athletic.

The Denmark international scored his first Premier League goal for the 20-time English champions against Aston Villa on Boxing Day, but he missed the game with Nottingham Forest last time out through illness.

Marcus Rashford played down the middle in his absence, with the England international on the scoresheet, but Hojlund will be able to return against Wigan in the third round of the FA Cup.

"He will return. He dropped out shortly before the [Forest] game, he was unwell for that game. The day before we expected him to play, but he dropped out shortly before the game. He is now back in training," Ten Hag told reporters during his pre-match press conference.

Hojlund has scored six times for Man United this season, with five of those coming in the group stage of the Champions League, and he is now preparing to play in an FA Cup fixture for the first time in his career.

Manchester United's Rasmus Hojlund and Andre Onana celebrate after the match on December 26, 2023© Reuters

Andre Onana is also available for the match, with the Cameroon international yet to join up with his country to prepare for the Africa Cup of Nations.

There is a chance that Onana will also feature in the Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, but Ten Hag has insisted that he is happy with his goalkeeping department, with Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton also part of the set-up.

"So at some point Andre will go [to the Africa Cup of Nations]. We are totally happy and we constructed this group of goalkeepers because we are comfortable with this and we have that confidence in them both," Ten Hag added when asked if he was comfortable with the goalkeeping group as a whole.

"They are both very good goalkeepers, very experienced at the highest levels, so I think we can have a lot of belief that we have [enough] coverage.

Manchester United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir on September 3, 2023© Reuters

"Not only coverage but also competition between the three [also including Tom Heaton] and so we are assured that if Andre has to go then we are good and we are in a good place with replacements to fill that gap."

Ten Hag also said that his team must be "ready" for the challenge of taking on Wigan, who famously won the FA Cup in 2012-13, beating Manchester City in the final.

"It is a cup game, so it is do or die. So I like it but we have had this situation before this season and we have to be ready for the game. We had one game [last season] to decide the winner, and we were not [it]," he added.

"So we have to make sure we get ready for that game and we will face an opponent who is 100% [ready] and will give more than 100%, as every opponent is going more than 100% against Manchester United. But especially this time and we have to be well prepared for the game."

Man United are 12-time winners of the FA Cup, with only Arsenal (14) proving to be more successful in the competition, but the Gunners were knocked out by Liverpool in the third round on Sunday.

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Matt Law
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