Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag seems to be cushioning the team’s supporters from heartache in the event the team loses to Bayern Munich in tonight’s Champions League fixture.

The Dutchman has claimed that since his arrival at Old Trafford, he has never had a chance to pick his strongest squad.

In a pre-match statement before Manchester United’s upcoming visit to the Allianz Arena to take on Bayern Munich Ten Hag expressed his worry regarding the team’s injury situation.

He revealed that as many as 12 key first-team players are currently unavailable due to injuries.

“One thing is true, from the start of last season I don’t think I ever started with, in my opinion, the best starting eleven,” Ten Hag said. “There were always injuries.

The manager is already facing criticism and this could escalate if the Red Devils fall at the hands of six-time European champions.

“The doctors are dealing with the problems,” he added.

“First of all, injuries always come in top football because we are living on the edge.

“Of course, we analyse why things happen, but we also have to deal with the effects. We have to get the best out of it.”

Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Sofyan Amrabat, and Mason Mount are among the names listed on the injured roster.

Additionally, Ten Hag has confirmed that Harry Maguire won’t be available for this week’s Champions League matches due to a “complaint,” and Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been sidelined since the weekend.

Meanwhile, Jadon Sancho and Antony are unavailable due to their different off-field troubles.

Manchester United has experienced defeat in three out of their first five Premier League matches, including a 3-1 loss at home against Brighton last weekend.

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Out of the 21 players in United’s travel squad, four of them are goalkeepers. Ten Hag, however, has only been able to select five defenders.