Manchester United have nothing but finals left, says Erik ten Hag

With his Manchester United side still in the thick of three different races and in the midst of a grueling stretch of games, manager Erik ten Hag says he will not prioritise one competition over another.

“We approach this game by game, what can we do?” Ten Hag said after Sunday’s 2-0 Premier League victory over Nottingham Forest. “We have to win. We are United, we have to win every game.”

United’s victory over Steve Cooper’s relegation-threatened Forest at the City Ground propelled them into third to strengthen their grip on a top-four Premier League finish.

The match was also sandwiched between the two legs of their Europa League quarterfinal against Sevilla. After a 2-2 draw in the first leg, United head to Seville for the return on Thursday. They play Brighton at Wembley in the FA Cup semifinals next Sunday.

“The points are getting more expensive at this period of the season, because they are all finals, they are really battling against relegation, they are giving their lives and this is every opponent, or they go for the top, so you have to really fight and battle for every point,” Ten Hag said.

Adding to the challenge of their breathless schedule is a spate of injuries. United, who were already missing striker Marcus Rashford and defenders Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, lost midfielder Marcel Sabitzer on Sunday when he injured his groin in the warm-up.

United’s victory over Steve Cooper’s relegation-threatened Forest at the City Ground propelled them into third to strengthen their grip on a top-four Premier League finish.

The match was also sandwiched between the two legs of their Europa League quarterfinal against Sevilla. After a 2-2 draw in the first leg, United head to Seville for the return on Thursday. They play Brighton at Wembley in the FA Cup semifinals next Sunday.

“The points are getting more expensive at this period of the season, because they are all finals, they are really battling against relegation, they are giving their lives and this is every opponent, or they go for the top, so you have to really fight and battle for every point,” Ten Hag said.

Adding to the challenge of their breathless schedule is a spate of injuries. United, who were already missing striker Marcus Rashford and defenders Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, lost midfielder Marcel Sabitzer on Sunday when he injured his groin in the warm-up.