“He looks good,” the United manager said. “That is a career – ups and downs and so a down can also give fuel and that is what I see in training.
“He will be highly motivated: speak with your feet, he’s highly intelligent, he has already had a big career and I’m sure he will get over this and he will get more goals.”
With Ten Hag’s future under serious threat and United willing to listen to offers for almost the entirety of their squad this summer bar a handful of young talents such as Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund, Saturday could represent the last game for many at the club.
Nonetheless, Ten Hag sidestepped questions about his own future. “I am just focusing on the job I have to do and that is first win the game on Saturday and then we are in the project and keep going in the project,” he said.
“I came here to win trophies. Saturday I have the next opportunity. We earned this opportunity as a team and now we have to go for it. At the same time in the last two years, of course every season you review it, and then we will see where we are in the project and the things that we have to change.
“We spoke lately about it, underneath there are very good things, players coming up and players developing, values coming up and at the same time we have on Saturday a big opportunity to win the next trophy.”