Erik ten Hag dismisses speculation over Man Utd future to focus on FA Cup final

Sign up for Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter delivered straight to your inbox for free

Sign up for Miguel Delaney’s free weekly newsletter

Under fire Erik ten Hag said his only aim was to win the FA Cup as he brushed aside talk the final could be his last game as Manchester United manager.

The Red Devils look to salvage a poor injury-hit season by beating neighbors Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday.

United left Europe before Christmas, limped home in eighth – the lowest finish in the Premier League – and speculation continues over the Ten Hag boss’s future.

Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Tuchel and Kieran McKenna are among the names linked with the Old Trafford hot seat as Ineos looks to take the club back to the top.

Asked by Ten Hag that it had been suggested this weekend’s final could be his last game as United manager, the Dutchman chuckled and said: “I have nothing to say.

“I’m just focusing on the job I have to do and that’s to win the game on Saturday first and then we’re in the draft. Continue in the project.”

Pushed by how he wants his time at United to be judged, Ten Hag added: “I came here to win trophies.

“On Saturday I have my next opportunity and we earned this opportunity as a team and now we have to go for it.

“At the same time, the last two years, of course after every season you review it and then we’ll see where we are in the draft and the things we need to change.

“We’ve been talking about it lately. There are very good things underneath – players coming in, players developing, values ​​emerging.

“And at the same time, we have a great opportunity on Saturday to win the next trophy.”

United’s injury problems have eased ahead of the final, with Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane recently returning along with Marcus Rashford and captain Bruno Fernandes.

Victor Lindelof, Mason Mount and Anthony Martial have trained in the final build-up, but Harry Maguire will miss out along with left-backs Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.

“Harry Maguire is not available but the rest, all the players you mentioned (Lindelof, Mount and Martial), I think they are all available,” Ten Hag said.

“Final practice tomorrow and then we’ll make the final decisions, but watching him now, he looks good.”

Maguire picked up a muscle injury in training at the start of May and was expected to be out for three weeks.

Asked if the defender, who has been named in England’s Euro 2024 provisional squad, had suffered a setback, Ten Hag said: “I don’t think so. It just didn’t work out, it didn’t heal the way we expected.”

Maguire was joined on England’s long 33-man list by United team-mates Shaw and 19-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, but Marcus Rashford’s omission was overlooked for the final in Germany.

The 26-year-old striker has been the most eye-catching omission from Gareth Southgate’s squad and has the chance to make a comeback on the big stage at Wembley this weekend.

“He looked good and this is a career, ups and downs,” Ten Hag said.

“So, a down can also be fuel, that’s what I see in training. He will be very motivated. Talk with your feet, he’s very talented.

“He’s already had a great career and I’m sure he’ll build on that and score even more goals.”