Manchester United played Bournemouth in the early hours of Sunday (14th), but there was bad news again in the defence: central defender Raphael Varane (Raphael Varane) was unavailable due to injury, and Erik ten Hag only had two central defenders available for this game. British media revealed that coach Erik ten Hag could only promote rising star Jack Kingdon from the Under-18s in order to ensure that the team had an extra centre-back as a replacement.
Manchester United have been plagued by injuries this season, and the defence has been the hardest hit. By the time of last week's Double Red Cross, United had already asked for 19-year-old Willy Kambwala to partner Harry Maguire.
Raphael Varane was sidelined last week through injury and United announced on Friday that he will be out for several weeks in a bid to return before the end of the season in May, while fellow centre-back Jonny Evans will not be available for this game.
With the addition of Victor Lindelöf and Lisandro Martinez, United now have four centre-backs on the injured list, leaving the squad with just two centre-backs available.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Erik ten Hag has promoted 18-year-old centre-back Jack Kingdon from the Under-18s to take part in a first-team training session on Friday local time. The report described Jack Kingdon as a natural centre-back with an impressive performance in the position of a natural centre-back, who was signed by United for a six-figure £6 after a two-week trial in the Under-14 age group in November 2020.
He also played rugby as a child and won the 75m, 150m and 600m championships in athletics, but eventually decided to focus on football. Reports describe him as very strong, fast, and have excellent backcourt reading skills.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Erik ten Hag also addressed the problem of injuries at the back this season: "It's difficult [to switch back combinations a lot]. Anyone with a little football knowledge will understand that this can affect your team's results and performance. According to the Manchester Evening News, it was Erik ten Hag's 26th different four-man defensive combination in 31 games this season.
'Defence is the basis of the results and we are in a bad position in that area, but we still have to win. We all understand that, and everybody has to take responsibility as well. It's just that as a manager, you know it's going to have a negative impact on the team. Erik ten Hag said at the press conference.
In addition to the back, Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay are also doubtful. Erik ten Hag said the former was involved in Friday's training session and would review the situation before making a decision, but admitted that the latter has little chance of playing.
Bournemouth's match against Manchester United kicks off at 0.30am GMT on Sunday. Manchester United are currently sixth in the table, 11 points behind Aston Villa, who have played one game more, and a win in this game will make a Champions League place in the coming season even more slim.