Erik ten Hag has vented his frustration after being told by the Manchester United medical team that he would have two fit left-backs by the start of 2024. The players in question, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, are not expected to return to competitive action before the end of the season.
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The anticipated comebacks of Shaw and Malacia prompted United to cut fellow left-back Sergio Reguilon's loan spell short in January. The Spaniard is now playing regularly at Brentford, while Ten Hag is being forced to field the likes of Victor Lindelof and Diogo Dalot out of position.
Shaw made five appearances in January and February before suffering a muscle injury which looks set to keep him out until next campaign. Malacia, meanwhile, has missed the whole 2023/24 season with a knee issue.
"In December, I had the talks internally with the medical and performance [staff]," said Ten Hag. "They assured me they will both be fit in January and so you will have two left full-backs.
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"Then [we would] have [had] a third one [Reguilon], so I would always have to disappoint one full-back. We are talking about one of my biggest frustrations there.
"You can accept in a position that a player is not available, but when two players are not available over the course of the season, that is very frustrating, because that is also very difficult to catch up as a team. We dealt with it in the best way, but of course it is a disadvantage.
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"In our left full-back position, we've had two injuries almost over the whole course of the season. I think Liverpool is a good example. Last year they had the same and they couldn't deal with it as well."
United have failed to kick on since securing third place in Ten Hag's debut season. The Red Devils' injury-hit squad are down in sixth ahead of this weekend's round of fixtures, with significant ground to make up on the top four.
The likes of Rasmus Hojlund, Lisandro Martinez and Aaron Wan-Bissaka were among those absent from Ten Hag's starting line-up at Goodison Park on Saturday.
The United boss has faced questions over his future during turbulent spells this campaign, but he insists his 61-per-cent win rate would be significantly higher across his first 100 games at the helm if he had all of his top players available.