Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag said that an illness contributed to Rasmus Hojlund's withdrawal against West Ham United on Saturday afternoon.
The Denmark international drew another blank in the Premier League in the team's final match before Christmas, making it 14 fixtures in the competition without a goal.
Hojlund was taken off in the 57th minute of the match, with Marcus Rashford going through the middle, but the Englishman struggled to make his mark.
During his pre-match press conference, Ten Hag said that Hojlund was unwell last week, which played a role in his early withdrawal against David Moyes's side at the London Stadium.
The Dutchman admitted that the 20-year-old lacked "a little bit of power" as a result of his illness, and he was keen to protect the striker due to the amount of games he has played this season.
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"I think he's a very strong character and he can deal with the stress. I took him off. He was ill during the week and so he had a little lack of power," said the manager.
"So, yeah, in that sense, I protected him. We have to play two more games this week. But we can't feel sorry for ourselves. No one. And we have to take the responsibility. If you are playing for Manchester United you have to do it together, but everyone has to be accountable and take responsibility."
Hojlund has netted five times for the club this term, all of which have come in the Champions League.
A lack of options has seen Ten Hag persist with Hojlund, with Anthony Martial struggling to produce performances when selected, while he again missed out against West Ham due to illness.
Raphael Varane missed out against the Hammers due to his health, which meant a first-team debut for Willy Kambwala, with Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez also missing.
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Man United have now managed just 18 goals in their 18 Premier League matches this season, with Antony and Alejandro Garnacho also again finding it difficult against West Ham.
Meanwhile, the likes of Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes were unable to carry a goal threat during the two-goal defeat at the London Stadium.
Ten Hag, however, also said during his post-match press conference that his side "were controlling the game" and "didn't give West Ham United anything", but they were unable to take "our three good chances".
The manager also insisted that the players on the pitch "were good enough to win the game" after being asked about the injury situation at the club.
Man United will now be aiming to bounce back when they welcome Aston Villa to Old Trafford on Boxing Day.
Matt Law
