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Manchester United race to sign Marcel Sabitzer after Christian Eriksen injury blow

Carroll tackles Eriksen/Man Utd injury blow with Christian Eriksen out for 'extended period' following Andy Carroll tackle - Martin Rickett/PA
Carroll tackles Eriksen/Man Utd injury blow with Christian Eriksen out for 'extended period' following Andy Carroll tackle - Martin Rickett/PA

Marcel Sabitzer flew into England on Tuesday night to complete an emergency loan move to Manchester United after Christian Eriksen was ruled out for three months following a challenge by Andy Carroll that drew condemnation from manager Erik ten Hag.

United were forced into a late swoop for the Bayern Munich midfielder Sabitzer with Eriksen expected to be sidelined until late April or early May as a result of an ankle injury caused by Reading striker Carroll’s recklessness during his side’s 3-1 FA Cup defeat at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Austria international Sabitzer, 28, who has 12 goals in 68 appearances for his country, was due to sign a straight loan deal until the end of the season with no option to buy after jetting into Manchester from Munich shortly after 8pm.

He was then driven to the club’s Carrington training base to undergo some medical tests following positive health bulletins from Bayern as United sorted a work permit and finalised the paperwork. The deal sheet was submitted before the 11pm deadline.

United – who had been offered a series of players over the past 72 hours and enquired about the availability of a number of midfield options – moved quickly to secure a deal with Bayern for their primary target Sabitzer after it became clear Eriksen would miss the majority of the season in a bitter setback to the club’s ambitions this season.

Ten Hag had admitted it would be “difficult” to sign a replacement for Eriksen before the transfer window closed, but will be hopeful the versatile, technical Sabitzer with a keen eye for goal, will soften the blow. Sabitzer spent seven years at RB Leipzig before being brought to Bayern in 2021 by Julian Nagelsmann, his former coach at Leipzig, but did not always convince in a midfield two.

United said in a statement on Tuesday that they expected Eriksen to be out until “late April or early May” following their initial assessments but that investigations were continuing.

The prospect of being without such an influential player for the next three months is a bitter blow for Ten Hag, particularly as he has no like-for-like replacement in his squad for the Denmark playmaker, who has made a significant impact since arriving on a free transfer last summer.

With Donny van de Beek already ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury and Scott McTominay currently sidelined, Casemiro, Fred and Bruno Fernandes are United’s only senior available midfielders. United – who are still competing on four fronts – face eight games in February alone.

Asked if he had the depth to cope with Eriksen’s loss and whether signing a replacement before Tuesday’s 11pm deadline was possible, Ten Hag said: “As you said, on deadline day it’s difficult. You can’t make policy on such bad injuries but we have players in the midfield department, good players. We have players who can fill the gap.

“Of course, he’s disappointed about it, we are disappointed about it, but it happens in top football, it shouldn’t have happened but it did and you have to deal with it.”

Ten Hag has wanted to strengthen the squad this month but United’s overspend in the summer and tightening purse-strings while the Glazers try and sell the club mean the only signing to date has been the low-cost loan signing of striker Wout Weghorst from Burnley.

Wout Weghorst shakes hands with Erik ten Hag - Phil Noble/Reuters
Wout Weghorst shakes hands with Erik ten Hag - Phil Noble/Reuters

Ten Hag admitted Eriksen had a skill set that was hard to replicate but called on his players to step up in the Dane’s absence.

“I think you can never fill that [gap] because every player has his own characteristics, and identity, another player will always fill it in in a different way but that doesn't mean you have to be less successful,” he said.

“It’s quite clear Christian Eriksen brings top quality to our squad and especially he has some specifics that are hard to replace, for instance his his impact in the final third with his final ball.”

Eriksen’s injury is likely to be a much greater onus on Fred and Ten Hag said he was hoping the midfielder and Casemiro can replicate the partnership they enjoy with Brazil.

“I think you mentioned already... he’s playing together with Casemiro in the Brazil squad, I would say that’s not the worst squad in the world,” he said.

“They have so many choices they can make but they often prefer to play them together and that tells you something about the quality Fred has and what he can contribute to the team. He did that several times.

“When I see his performance, for instance, against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, when he's coming on in the last game he scores a goal so he has a lot of qualities and they're a really good combination, Casemiro and Fred.”

United hope a Casemiro-Fred partnership can flourish - Phil Noble/Reuters
United hope a Casemiro-Fred partnership can flourish - Phil Noble/Reuters

United’s lack of spending is in stark contrast to some of their rivals, notably Chelsea, but Ten Hag said he could not allow himself to be distracted by that.

“I can't talk for other clubs. I’m talking for our club,” he said. “We have a strategy and we keep to the strategy, we want to restore Manchester United to where they belong. We are in a good direction and it also has to match our financial frames.

“We started the season and we keep consistent to that plan, to that strategy and I think we are developing as a club, as a squad, in the way we play, you see also the results in the process, we make the right progress so we have to keep the process going every day and keep going every day.”

Ten Hag admitted there could be one or two departures on loan before the window closes with the futures of Brandon Williams, Anthony Elanga and Facundo Pellestri still uncertain.

“It could be but it depends on certain circumstances. If so, that would be likely loans, yeah,” Ten Hag said.