Erik Ten Hag's Shocking Admission Over Man Utd Starting XI Ahead Of Bayern Clash

Erik ten Hag has made a shocking admission over his preferred starting XI at Manchester United amid their ongoing nightmare season.

Ten Hag has insisted that he has never started his best Manchester United XI since arriving at Old Trafford. The Dutch boss' comments have come ahead of the Red Devils' opening UEFA Champions League fixture of the 2023-24 season.

Ten Hag: I've never started my best XI to date

Manchester United are set to take on Bayern Munich at Allianz Arena on Wednesday. Ahead of this crucial fixture, Ten Hag is without at least 12 first-team players due to various reasons such as suspension and injuries. The 12 players include Raphael Varane, Mason Mount and Harry Maguire, who have not travelled to Munich due to injuries.

"There was always something, but you have to deal with it. I think I never started the best starting XI. That is football. You have to deal with it. I love these situations. You have to know what to do and focus on the process," Ten Hag told reporters at the pre-match conference.

Centre-back Varane and midfielder Mount were both spotted training at Manchester United's Carrington training centre on Tuesday morning. But the duo was not named in the Red Devils' travelling squad for the opening game in Group A, which also includes Turkey's Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen from Denmark.

Harry Maguire picks up injury during training

Mount has not featured in Manchester United's last three games, while Varane has missed two. As a result, the Old Trafford side has been struggling in the Premier League and have lost three out of their last four matches.

Former Manchester United captain Maguire trained on Tuesday, but sustained an injury that ruled him out of the match against the Bundesliga champions.

Adding further in the press conference, Ten Hag said: "The doctors are dealing with the problems. First of all, injuries always come in top football because we are living on the edge. Of course, we analyse why things happen, but we also have to deal with the effects. We have to get the best out of it [the situation]."

Meanwhile, Ten Hag is also without forwards Antony and Jadon Sancho. Antony's return to the first team has been postponed due to the ongoing investigations against him for alleged. Sancho, on the other hand, has been banished from the senior side due to a disciplinary issue. Manchester United's Champions League squad does not include midfielder Donny van de Beek as well, as the Dutch player is not registered for the European games.

Manchester United do not need to reset, says Ten Hag

Following Manchester United's defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford on Saturday, they fell to 13th place in the Premier League table. However, Ten Hag does not believe his side needs a major reset.

"No, we don't feel we need that. We are in a process. In parts of the game we play well. In parts of the game, we play below our levels. We need to be consistent for 90 plus minutes," added Ten Hag.

Bayern Munich are yet to lose a game this season and with three victories and a draw, the Allianz Arena side is second in the Bundesliga table.

When Ten Hag was asked about Manchester United's next opponent, Bayern Munich, the Dutch boss admitted that his side cannot lose focus on Wednesday against the German club even for a split second. Praising the Bayern players further, Ten Hag called them "very attractive players who are very skillful".

Even though Bayern Munich are very strong at home, especially in the Champions League, Ten Hag said his side is looking forward to their upcoming challenge.