Erik ten Hag confirms Sofyan Amrabat will miss Brighton clash

The Red Devils had long been linked with a move for the Morocco international before welcoming him to the club on loan on deadline day, and his deal also includes an option for a permanent move.

Amrabat unsurprisingly did not appear for his debut in the 3-1 loss to Arsenal two weekends ago, and he did not play any minutes for parent club Fiorentina in the 2023-24 Serie A season before touching down in the UK.

The 27-year-old would have been expected to line up for Morocco in their friendly with Burkina Faso earlier this month, but due to a lower back injury, he did not represent his country and was sent back to Old Trafford.

There was optimism that Amrabat would have been able to shake off the issue in time for the visit of Brighton, but Ten Hag has conceded that the midfielder must wait a little longer for his maiden appearance.

"Amrabat, he came back unfortunately with the injury, so he will not be available for tomorrow [Saturday]," Ten Hag told reporters during Friday's pre-match press conference.

Amrabat represents one of 11 selection concerns in a ravaged Man United squad, who are already guaranteed to be without Luke Shaw, Raphael Varane, Tyrell Malacia, Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount, Amad Diallo and Tom Heaton.

Meanwhile, wingers Antony and Jadon Sancho are both out of the first-team picture due to respective personal problems, as the latter faces allegations of domestic assault from three different women, which he denies.

On the other hand, Sancho has been exiled from first-team training after publicly questioning Ten Hag's reasons for dropping him against Arsenal in a social media post, which has since been deleted.

Ten Hag refused to add fuel to the fire when pressed on Sancho's situation, but the Englishman will supposedly not be considered for selection until he has apologised to the head coach.

An exit in 2024 now appears inevitable for Sancho, and the absences of the 23-year-old, Antony, Mount and Diallo could see Facundo Pellistri given the chance to impress on the right-hand side.

A shock swoop for former Aston Villa man and current free agent Anwar El Ghazi was briefly mooted, but Man United are not said to be seriously considering a move for the Dutchman.

On a more reassuring note, Lisandro Martinez has shaken off a minor injury concern to make himself available for the weekend, where he is expected to join Victor Lindelof in the heart of defence.

While Amrabat's debut will have to wait, Ten Hag has confirmed that Tottenham Hotspur loanee Sergio Reguilon could earn his first minutes for the club, adding: "We are a little bit short of defenders, so [Reguilon] can come quickly. But I think, on the short notice [soon], yes. And I'm sure we will all get joy from them."

Man United went into the international break sat 11th in the Premier League rankings, having only taken six points from their opening four matches.