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Manchester United battle Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League today (January 14) and Erik ten Hag has welcomed Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez back into his squad.
The duo don't start for the Red Devils but are on the bench which comes as a massive boost to Ten Hag. Martinez has been sidelined with a foot injury since September while Casemiro has been absent since November with a hamstring problem.
Manchester United have been in disastrous form during their absences, dropping down to ninth in the league. They crashed out of the UEFA Champions League at the group stages and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the fourth round.
However, the new year brings with it an opportunity for Ten Hag to turn things around. The Dutchman has come under a ton of pressure but Casemiro and Martinez's returns will only help aid the situation.
Andre Onana will play his final game in goal before heading off to the African Cup of Nations with Cameroon. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane, Jonny Evans, and Diogo Dalot are in defense.
Meanwhile, Christian Eriksen returns from a short spell on the sidelines. The Danish midfielder partners Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes in midfield.
Marcus Rashford is in attack, alongside the in-form Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund.
However, one fan isn't too thrilled to see Eriksen starting:
"This manager doesn’t have a clue. Why is he starting Eriksen?"
Another fan was more enthusiastic, hailing the return of Martinez:
"We back baby."
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Ten Hag's starting lineup to face Tottenham:
Sir Jim Ratcliffe calls co-owning Manchester United his most exciting challenge as he attends to Tottenham clash
Incoming Manchester United co-owner is in attendance at Old Trafford to watch Ten Hag's men take on Spurs. The INEOS chief's deal to acquire a 25% stake in the club is close to being finalized.
Ratcliffe is joined at United's stadium by Sir David Brailsford and Jean Claude-Blanc. They are a three-man committee expected to oversee the club's footballing operations.
The British billionaire spoke to the media ahead of the Red Devils' encounter with Tottenham. He said (via UtdPlug):
"That's right. Yes. I've done some exciting things, but there's no doubt."
Ratcliffe has a massive job on his hands in trying to take Manchester United back among Europe's elite. The 13-time Premier League champions have stumbled following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013, unable to win the title since.
The club's current owners, the Glazers, have been majorly criticized for their handling of sporting decisions at Old Trafford. Ratcliffe and his team will now be tasked with trying to repair the somewhat stagnating Premier League giants.
