Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said he was focusing on an improvement from the players at his disposal as he was pressed for his reaction to Mason Greenwood’s departure from the club.
United announced on Monday that Greenwood will continue his career away from Old Trafford after he faced allegations of abuse involving a young woman.
The 21-year-old forward has been suspended by the Premier League giants since January 2022 when images and videos of the alleged abuse were posted online.
Prosecutors said in February they were dropping charges, including attempted rape and sexual assault, against Greenwood, after key witnesses withdrew and new evidence came to light.
After a six-month internal investigation, the club said all parties “recognise the difficulties with him recommencing his career at Manchester United.”
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Greenwood was tipped for stardom after rising through United’s youth system and scoring 35 goals in 129 senior appearances for the club.
Ten Hag’s side have struggled in the early stages of the season.
A 2-0 defeat to Tottenham last weekend followed a poor performance despite a 1-0 win over Wolves in their opening match of the Premier League campaign.
“Look, we are not there where we want to be with our team,” Ten Hag said on Friday when asked about Greenwood.
“I have a lot of work, I have a lot of focus on my team, so I focus on the players who are available.”
Injuries have also hampered the options available to Ten Hag.
Luke Shaw’s absence leaves United without a natural left-back for a few weeks, while Mason Mount will also miss Saturday’s visit of Nottingham Forest.
New £64 million ($81 million) striker Rasmus Hojlund is yet to make an appearance due to a back injury, but Ten Hag is hopeful of having the Dane available for next weekend’s trip to Arsenal.
“Injuries are always disappointing but we can deal with it,” added Ten Hag.
“Rasmus Hojlund is not available for tomorrow; he came into team training for the first time (this week).
“Next week we expect him to do a full week, so he is very near to the squad.”
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