Since his arrival as new Manchester United, Erik ten Hag has helped the club regain its swagger on the pitch with many previously struggling stars looking close to their best.
Diogo Dalot and Marcus Rashford are prime examples of players hwose fortunes have been transformed unnder the Dutch manager.
But one player whose poor run of form has continued unabated despite the presence of Ten Hag is Donny van de Beek.
Donny’s wretched United spell
The thought process was that with the arrival of his former boss, under whom Van de Beek became a world-beater, the Dutch midfielder would soon regain his lost mojo.
But despite the best efforts of the former Ajax boss, the 25-year-old has struggled to make any meaningful impact when thrown into the deep end.
Ten Hag confirms Donny van de Beek is out for the rest of season: “It’s terrible when you get a bad tackle and a bad injury during the season” 🚨 #MUFC
“But in the long-term it is looking really good — he will be back for the start of pre-season”, Ten Hag says — via @hirstclass. pic.twitter.com/xyG9CGFbbH
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 13, 2023
He has clocked up 10 appearances for the Reds this season, including making four starts in all competitions but the manager revealed that his season is over.
The former Everton loanee was forced to leave the field against Bournemouth earlier this month, after colliding with Marcos Senesi during United’s 3-0 win at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag finally revealed the worst on Friday during the pre-match press conference ahead of the Manchester derby.
“Of course, the bad news is he is out for the rest of the season, but the good news is, in the long term, his knee will be okay and he will be ready again to play at the highest levels and will be ready for the start of pre-season.”
Donny out for the season
“I think everyone’s thoughts are with him. It is terrible when you are in a season and you get a bad tackle, a bad injury. It is always really disappointing and thoughts, feelings are with the player.
“You express that, our group did that really well, and we are now happy his knee in the long term is good. In the same moments, mixed feelings. Disappointment he is out of this season.”
Interestingly, Ten Hag mentioned that he expects the player to be fit and firing ahead of next season. Whether that means he will stay on at the club despite his below-par showings remains to be seen.
United Matchday Magazine – be in the know about everything in red!
Still itching for more United content? Get everything you need right here. For just £1.25 per issue/£3.75 a month you’ll receive unique insights into United, straight to your inbox – before every match and throughout the month.
- Get the exclusive build-up to each match, plus team news, tactics and history.
- Not only that – United Matchday is jam-packed with articles, news, transfer news, puzzles, nostalgia and humour.
- Impress your friends and be in the know about everything in red!
