Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has highlighted the importance of the Carabao Cup.
Ten Hag led United to the trophy in his first season in charge in 2022-23, and the FA Cup was added last season after finishing eighth in the Premier League and having Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos take over football operations at the club.
United face League One Barnsley in the Carabao Cup third round on Tuesday, and when asked whether the bar had been raised and the club’s owners expected them to win something more substantial, Ten Hag replied: “I would say it’s significant.
“The FA Cup and Carabao Cup are noteworthy. When a club, owner, or manager wins a trophy, like Liverpool did last year when they won the Carabao Cup, everyone pays notice.
“I saw the final.” I witnessed all of the teams compete for it. We both want the same thing. So, in football, winning trophies is quite crucial. You have five chances, and our goal is always to win all the games, so win all the trophies if possible.”
According to him: “No doubt we are aiming for a trophy, this is one opportunity, so we take it [Tuesday’s game] seriously.”
United, who are presently 10th in the nascent league standings with six points from four matches, won 3-0 at Southampton on Saturday after losing 2-1 at Brighton and 3-0 at home to Liverpool.
Lisandro Martinez and Noussair Mazraoui were both forced to leave the game in the second half owing to cramps, as was fellow defender Matthijs de Ligt.
However, all three are eligible for selection on Tuesday, according to Ten Hag: “They are all available, and they are good.”
Ten Hag also stated Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount, and Victor Lindelof were not ready for the Barnsley game as they recuperate from injuries, but did not rule them out of Saturday’s league trip to Crystal Palace, saying: “We will see how the progress continues.”
The Dutchman also confirmed that Luke Shaw would not play in the cup fixture, saying of the England left-back, who has been sidelined by a calf injury: “He is progressing nicely.
“Of course, we have a plan for when he’ll be ready. But you’re constantly dependent on how things proceed, and you can’t make any recommendations because there are so many circumstances that might cause a rehab plan to accelerate or slow down.”
Mazraoui and De Ligt’s other summer addition, Manuel Ugarte, might earn his first United start after coming off the bench on Saturday.
When Ten Hag was asked about Antony’s chances of starting after only one appearance this season – as a late substitute at Brighton – he said: “[On Tuesday] you will see what the line-up will be.
“We have daily training, and the players must earn the right to play. When players do the right thing in practice, have a positive attitude, and do well in practice, they will earn the opportunity to play.”
