Erik ten Hag urges Manchester United to focus game by game in bid for Champions League football

LONDON – Finishing in the Champions League spots is Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag’s sole focus, as

he prepares his team

for their Premier League trip to Bournemouth on Saturday.

Following two 1-0 away losses to Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United, results which had put their top-four hopes in danger, the Red Devils bounced back last weekend with a routine

2-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Ten Hag’s men are fourth on 66 points following their 20th league win of the season, and have a game in hand on Liverpool (65) in fifth. Another win on Saturday and they will go level with third-placed Newcastle United.

“When I see this project, first of all it’s important to get in the Champions League,” the United boss said on Friday.

“But I don’t think (about that) today, I look to the next game, Bournemouth.

“We have to win that game to get in the Champions League. Focus on the game, the (three) games coming up, and the first game is the most important.”

Ten Hag will be wary of his side’s poor away form in recent months – they have just eight points on the road from their last 27 available since the turn of 2023.

However, United can be confident on Saturday as they have won eight of their last 11 Premier League encounters with Bournemouth, including a 3-0 win in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford in January.

“I think as far as I can see, it’s really brilliant a club like Bournemouth, they are in the Premier League and three games before the end of the season they are definitely in the league next season as well,” added ten Hag of the Cherries being safe from relegation.

“It’s massive. You can see clear patterns (in their play), so well done.”

Loanee Marcel Sabitzer has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, joining Lisandro Martinez in the treatment room.

Scott McTominay and Donny van de Beek are back in training, but top scorer Marcus Rashford is a minor doubt because of illness.

On the sidelines, centre-back Phil Jones said on Friday that he will leave the club after 12 years when his contract expires at the end of the season, ending an injury-plagued stay at Old Trafford.

Jones, 31, has played more than 200 games for United. But he has had a torrid time with injuries over the past four seasons, managing only 13 appearances since the start of the 2019-20 campaign.

Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil, meanwhile, has revealed that the injured Antoine Semenyo, Hamed Traore, Marcus Tavernier, Ryan Fredericks and Junior Stanislas are all unavailable for the match.

His team have lost their last two games, 3-1 to Chelsea and 2-0 to Crystal Palace, but are 14th in the standings and eight points clear of the drop zone with their survival secured.

The Cherries have a good record when it comes to their last home game of the season – they have won their final match at the Vitality Stadium in three of their previous five Premier League seasons.

Bournemouth also beat United 1-0 the last time they welcomed the Red Devils to the South Coast, in November 2019.

O’Neil said earlier this week that he was thrilled with his team’s performances this season.

“To be able to win enough games to secure Premier League survival with some of the issues we’ve had with injuries was a big achievement for the group,” he said.

“Everybody within the dressing room and the coaching room understood how much we were giving every day to get everything we could out of everyone.

“So, to see all that work and effort pay off is satisfying.” REUTERS