Fosu-Mensah wants to stay at Man United amid injury crisis

Timothy Fosu-Mensah spent last season on loan at Crystal Palace but the versatile 20-year-old Dutchman wants to stay in Manchester.

Published : Jul 30, 2018 08:33 IST

Timothy Fosu-Mensah spent the 2017-18 season on loan at Crystal Palace.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah is determined to remain at Manchester United and help the Premier League club through its injury woes.

Jose Mourinho has bemoaned United's preparations for the 2018-19 season which starts against Leicester City on August 10, with the likes of Chris Smalling, Antonio Valencia, Marcos Rojo, Diogo Dalot, Luke Shaw and Eric Bailly nursing injuries.

The World Cup has also deprived Mourinho of Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones and Ashley Young, and resting stars Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford and Marouane Fellaini.

Fosu-Mensah spent last season on loan at Crystal Palace but the versatile 20-year-old Dutchman wants to stay in Manchester.

Versatile

"Last year, I was at Crystal Palace, I think I improved there and I've come back a better player," said Fosu-Mensah.

"I came back to show that I've improved and to show that I'm a better player now. I'll keep working hard and see what happens.

"I can play right-back, right wing-back, centre-back, in midfield. For me, it's possible. I've played centre-back and right wing-back [on the tour] so for me it's not a problem. I wouldn't say in goal - in goal I would be very bad."

One game at a time

Fosu-Mensah had featured on the club's pre-season tour of the United States, where Mourinho's men suffered a 4-1 International Champions Cup loss to Liverpool on Saturday.

The three-time Netherlands international helped form an inexperienced defence alongside Axel Tuanzebe, Matteo Darmian and Bailly in Michigan.

"I have to take it day to day," Fosu-Mensah said. "I'll keep working hard and if the manager needs me I'll be ready.

"The tour has been good. We've played against quality opponents. We tried to train how we want to play so I think it has been really good for us.

"I'm focused on my training sessions and on the games. The next game is Real Madrid and we have to focus on that now.

"It's very nice to play against a good club, against good players. Some of the best in the world. It's good to have that test and we're focused on that."