Four things spotted in Manchester United training as Erik ten Hag gets attacking boost

All the very latest from Man United’s Carrington training base ahead of the trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

Manchester United will look to continue their excellent start to the season when they visit Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday night.

United, who lost a 2-0 lead to a 2-2 draw in a recent visit to north London, started the new Premier League season with a 1-0 win over Wolves at Old Trafford on Monday night.

Raphael Varane scored the only goal of the game to seal Erika ten Haga’s narrow victory. Although United started the season with three points, they finished second for most of the competition against a black side.

It was a disappointing performance that they need to improve on this weekend. United players and coaches are keen to improve their performance and have been hard at work all week at their Carrington training camp preparing plans for the Spurs game. With that in mind, here are four things MEN Sport noticed during Thursday’s training session.

Martial encouragement

After playing no part in pre-season and being an unused substitute against Wolves, Anthony Martial will be hoping to feature for the first time since the final day of last season when United travel to Spurs. The Frenchman, 27, suffered a hamstring injury in United’s 2-1 success over Fulham on May 28.

It ruled him out of the FA Cup final and he then failed to store a single minute’s worth of football under his belt during pre-season. He made the matchday squad against Wolves but watched Marcus Rashford spearhead the attack.

With Ten Hag screwing up his attack system in the capital, Martial could return to some degree. He was photographed training with the ball at the training ground on Thursday, encouraging him to be strong enough to perform.

Despite all his injury woes last season, he scored important goals for United and impressed Ten Hag. Time will tell if that happens this weekend.

*Anthony Martial had a smile on his face during training. (Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images.)*

Youngsters feature

As is so often the case in first-team training sessions at Carrington nowadays, United’s squad was awash with youngsters on Thursday. Ten Hag is only too happy to accommodate them within his plans and allow them to join in.

Among those pictured taking part in the session were the likes of Alvaro Fernandez, Dan Gore, Hannibal Mejbri and Omari Forson, though it is possible there may have been more out of the shot of the camera. None of the aforementioned quartet were included in the matchday squad against Wolves.

That, however, is not to say they won’t feature for United at any point in the coming weeks and months. Ten Hag has often stressed the importance of having a squad to cover the duration of a full season.

At the same time, however, it is possible that some of the club’s youngsters could head out on loan before the transfer window closes. The window shuts on September 1.

From right to left: United youngsters Alvaro Fernandez, Hannibal Mejbri and Dan Gore. — *From left to right: United youngsters Alvaro Fernandez, Hannibal Mejbri and Dan Gore. (Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images.)*

Van de Beek in good spirits

Despite being one of the most likely first-team members to be moved on before the transfer deadline, midfielder Donny van de Beek appeared to be in good spirits on Thursday. In images captured, he appeared to be joking with his teammates, donning a huge smile.

He was not included in the matchday squad against Wolves and was taken off at half-time in United’s final pre-season friendly of the summer against Athletic Bilbao in Dublin. He was replaced by Hannibal at the interval.

Spanish side Real Sociedad have held talks with United about signing the Netherlands international on a permanent deal. It remains to be seen if he will leave the club before the bell sounds in a fortnight’s time.

*Donny van de Beek could leave before the end of the transfer window. (Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images.)*

Youngsters join the goalkeeper union

The senior goalkeeping department featured two of the club’s young shot-stoppers during Thursday’s session. Radek Vitek and Elyh Harrison were spotted alongside Dean Henderson, who is now looking poised to stay at the club this summer.

United’s goalkeeping department has decreased in size this week following the permanent departures of Matej Kovar and Ondrej Mastny. Kovar sealed a move to Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday while Mastny signed for Vysocina Jihlava on the same day.

It means that Vitek and Harrison now have two fewer challengers in their quest to force their way into the first-team fold. Andre Onana, of course, will be the club’s first-choice this season and looks set to be supported by Henderson and Tom Heaton.

The latter, however, is currently sidelined with a calf injury, meaning Vitek and Harrison are vying for third spot in the pecking order.