Striker Rasmus Hojlund and new £52m signing Leny Yoro both sustained injuries in the first half as Manchester United lost their opening US tour match against Arsenal 2-1 in Los Angeles.
Hojlund opened the scoring in the 10th minute, latching onto Marcus Rashford’s pass, outmuscling defender Ayden Heaven, and slotting the ball through keeper Karl Hein’s legs.
However, Hojlund’s game was cut short after he seemed to suffer a muscle injury 15 minutes in, following a missed opportunity from an Aaron Wan-Bissaka cross.
Yoro, the 18-year-old defender who recently joined from Lille, also had to leave the field after needing prolonged treatment for an innocuous injury.
With manager Erik ten Hag already dealing with numerous injuries from last season, losing two key players less than three weeks before their Premier League opener against Fulham on 16 August is a significant setback.
“We have to wait 24 hours and then we will hopefully know more,” Ten Hag told MUTV. “We were very careful, especially with Leny. It is disappointing he had to come off but let’s be positive and see what comes out.”
Despite a promising start, the result was disappointing for Ten Hag.
Gabriel Jesus equalized in the 25th minute, with Ten Hag believing the goal should have been ruled offside. Substitute Gabriel Martinelli then secured the win by outmaneuvering 17-year-old full-back James Scanlon.
Although United won a pre-arranged penalty shoot-out 4-3, with Jadon Sancho scoring the decisive spot-kick, the injuries overshadowed the match.
Ten Hag had emphasized the physical demands on players this season, predicting injuries as inevitable. Hojlund’s groin injury and Yoro’s lengthy treatment confirmed his fears.
Victor Lindelof was also sidelined with an injury, leading 20-year-old Rhys Bennett, who spent the latter half of last season on loan at Stockport, to partner Harry Maguire in defense.
One positive for Ten Hag was the performance of midfielder Mason Mount. The former Chelsea player, who struggled with injuries last season, looked sharp and posed a constant threat.
Arsenal, on the other hand, showed glimpses of fluidity in possession, despite missing key players like Emile Smith-Rowe, who is negotiating a move to Fulham, and the soon-to-be-confirmed signing of Riccardo Calafiori.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta praised Gabriel Jesus and Martinelli, highlighting Jesus’s sharpness and Martinelli’s impact after returning from Copa America duty.
“One training session and he comes in and plays at that level,” Arteta said. “That’s the mentality of the team and individuals. Gabriel looks really sharp. He has changed a lot of things over the summer. You can see. The way he looks, his rhythm, his sharpness. You can see it in his eyes. There’s some spark there. Now he has a point to prove and that is good.”
The match was played on a specially grown grass pitch, which will be removed to prepare the stadium for upcoming events. Despite concerns about the environmental impact, stadium officials noted that efforts to repurpose the pitch had been unsuccessful.
