Premier League giants Manchester United have revealed that veteran goalkeeper Tom Heaton has been injured and will miss the first few weeks of new season action.
This has resulted in manager Erik ten Hag having limited choices for the goalkeeper position.
According to a statement on United’s official website, the 37-year-old will not be available for the Premier League season opener against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Old Trafford on Monday.
Heaton, who serves as the backup goalkeeper at United, will be unavailable for a few PL games. This leaves the manager with limited options, with Andre Onana, being the first-choice goalkeeper.
Meanwhile, Matej Kovar is close to finalising a permanent transfer to Bayer Leverkusen.
There are strong indications that Dean Henderson might move to Nottingham Forest during the summer, with United considering a loan deal that includes an obligation for Forest to purchase him.
The Red Devils are facing a growing issue with injuries as Heaton joins Rasmus Hojlund, Amad Diallo, and Kobbie Mainoo on the list of sidelined players.
During the pre-season matches, Heaton played a significant role for the club and seemed like a capable backup for Onana. However, the English star’s injury is a major setback for both United and Ten Hag.
Currently, there is only one experienced goalkeeper left in the squad as the new Premier League season is set to begin soon. The injury to Heaton might compel the Dutch boss to retain Henderson at Old Trafford.
Last season, Henderson appeared in 20 games across various competitions for Nottingham Forest before his campaign was cut short due to injury. Due to an ongoing thigh injury, the 26-year-old goalkeeper did not participate in the pre-season matches.
Man United had a strong interest in acquiring young goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Urawa Red Diamonds. However, the 20-year-old player opted for a transfer to the Belgian Pro League team STVV instead.
Manager Ten Hag’s main concern lies in the fitness of Onana, given the lack of a suitable replacement for the Cameroonian player.
We believe that the Red Devils may dive into the market to sign another backup keeper if necessary.
