Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has revealed that Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw, and Rasmus Højlund will not be available for their Premier League fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, August 24. The Red Devils will face the Seagulls at the Amex Stadium with a number of crucial players sidelined due to injury.
United started their 2024-25 league campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Fulham, thanks to a late goal from new signing Joshua Zirkzee. However, they will take on Brighton missing several key players.
In a pre-match press conference, Ten Hag confirmed that Malacia, Højlund, and Shaw will not feature, stating, “Tyrell Malacia, Rasmus Højlund, they’re not available. Luke Shaw, of course, [is out].”
Malacia has been out since the beginning of the 2023-24 season with a knee injury, though Ten Hag recently indicated a potential return in a few months. Højlund, who suffered a hamstring injury in a pre-season game against Arsenal, is expected to be back by the end of August.
Shaw, who injured his calf during pre-season, is likely to be sidelined until mid-September. Diogo Dalot covered left-back duties against Fulham, while Noussair Mazraoui played right-back.
Additionally, Ten Hag announced that Victor Lindelof will miss the Brighton game due to a toe injury. Lindelof also missed the Fulham match. Ten Hag expressed hope for a speedy recovery, noting, “He has an issue with his toe. So, hopefully, he can return quickly, but he is not available for the weekend.”
With Lindelof out, Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez started against Fulham, and Matthijs de Ligt made his Manchester United debut as a substitute. The team will also be without 18-year-old center-back Leny Yoro, who is injured from pre-season.
Against Brighton, United will need a strong performance, especially considering last season’s results, where they were defeated 3-1 at Old Trafford but won 2-0 at the Amex. With several key players missing, Ten Hag’s side will need to perform at their best to secure a positive result.
