Manchester United forward Rasmus Hojlund is facing a setback in his debut season at Old Trafford. The 20-year-old Danish player joined the Red Devils from Atalanta BC with much excitement, but it seems he will have to wait before making his mark on the pitch.
Reports suggest that an unknown injury will keep Hojlund out of action for the first six weeks of the 2023-24 campaign, according to head coach Erik ten Hag.
The Mirror has reported that Hojlund could potentially miss up to six months of the season due to a stress response hotspot in his back.
However, there is no immediate concern about his long-term fitness. This type of injury typically takes around three months to heal, affecting the soft tissue between the vertebrae. The forward was last seen playing for Denmark in June, which indicates that he could be out of action for another six weeks.
Daily Mail suggests that careful management of this type of injury is necessary to prevent it from developing into a stress fracture.
As a result, Manchester United will not rush Hojlund’s return to the field, and he may not be able to play twice a week during the initial months of the campaign. Prolonged rest is the advised treatment for this injury, which means the young striker will have to watch from the sidelines despite participating in pre-season training.
Hojlund’s arrival at Old Trafford comes after an impressive season at Atalanta, where he scored 10 goals and provided four assists in 34 appearances.
The versatile forward spoke highly of his abilities during his unveiling interview, highlighting his physicality, passion, and speed. He explained that while he played as a wide striker at Atalanta, his role with the national team focused more on being a target nine and playing inside the box.
Unfortunately for Hojlund, he is set to miss Manchester United’s first five games of the Premier League season, including matches against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest, Arsenal, and Brighton & Hove Albion.
