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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Samuel Luckhurst

Manchester United players get day off after Erik ten Hag hauled them in for unscheduled training session

Manchester United players are off today, having been hauled in for an unscheduled training session on Sunday.

United manager Erik ten Hag cancelled the players' day off yesterday and put them through a punishing session at the club's Carrington training complex less than 24 hours after the 4-0 thrashing at Brentford.

Injured duo Anthony Martial and Victor Lindelof were the only first-team squad members to report for treatment this morning.

Also read: Dressing room row erupted between United players before Brentford debacle

England Women's European Championship hero Ella Toone also arrived for her first day back of pre-season training. The 22-year-old scored a memorable dink in the Lionesses' Wembley final win over Germany earlier this month.

It is understood Sunday and Monday had been the players' allocated days off as there is a nine-day gap between the fixtures with Brentford and Liverpool next Monday.

The United squad flew back to Manchester from London on a private jet at 10.30pm on Saturday and security staff at Carrington were on their day off on Sunday morning when contacted and asked to come in.

United have beefed up security at Carrington and Old Trafford in the wake of the Brentford debacle, with more fan protests expected around the visit of Liverpool.

Supporters successfully forced the postponement of United and Liverpool's game at Old Trafford in May 2021 when they stormed the stadium in protest at the club's dalliance with the abolished Super League.

United have lost their first two league games for the first time in 30 years and players were subjected to chants of "You're not fit to wear the shirt" from the away end at the Community Stadium.

A source said Ten Hag left the players "in ruins" after overseeing a session in 30-degree heat at Carrington yesterday.

Brentford clocked 90 sprints to United's 65 and covered 109.4 kilometeres whereas United managed 95.6km. Brentford also had three times as many pressures in the final third as United.

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