We need fresh players for Sunday’s game: Ten Hag on Rashford’s half-time substitution at Porto

Porto: Erik ten Hag has explained why Marcus Rashford was substituted at half-time of Manchester United’s 3-3 draw with Porto in the Europa League game, saying that rotation was the reason as he needs his players “fit and fresh” for Sunday’s champions League away fixture at Aston Villa.

Rashford was outstanding during the first 45 minutes at the Estadio do Dragao, and opened the scoring inside just seven minutes. He then teed up the second, powered home by Rasmus Hojlund, in the 20th minute.

Rashford continued to torment Porto right-back Joao Mario for the rest of the first period, though Porto managed to level before the half-time whistle. However, when the teams returned after the interval, Alejandro Garnacho had taken to the pitch in place of Rashford.

“He is okay,” Ten Hag told MUTV, warding off any worries of an injury issue. “But also Alejandro Garnacho, he is, in the season, our attacking threat in this moment, and we brought him from the bench. We need fresh players also for Sunday so, yes, it was all in the plan.”

“We have to rotate. Garnacho, we didn’t start him. He had a great game, not only on Sunday, but I think in the whole season. We sub them the players who went off because on Sunday we have another hard game, a good game, so we need players to be available and be fit and be fresh. It’s a quick turnaround to Villa. They have a day longer to recover and we have an away, game, so we want fresh players on the pitch,” he further explained while speaking with TNT Sports.

Porto struck again soon after the restart through Omorodion’s second of the game. But, Ten Hag’s side dug in to salvage a draw when substitute Harry Maguire headed in from a corner during stoppage time.

Reflecting on the game, the Dutchman said, “We started the game very good, we dominated, scored two good goals, but then we lost control. So the start was good, the middle part was not good, and then we finished very good. It’s a tough place to go, so coming back from 3-2 we get the equaliser, which is good for the spirit. You see again that the team has a really strong character, but the middle part, the defending, we have to improve.”

“First of all, we must be better on the ball. (We needed to continue) like the first part: keep switching where we had our free players. We had a good plan – in our half-spaces we had our free players. So use them and more goals will come.

“We had three clean sheets not so long ago, so we can defend very good. But we have to go back to those habits. Only then can you win games. When you score three times in an away game in Europe, it must be enough,” he added.

–IANS