Erik ten Hag will not risk the player’s fitness to help injury-hit Manchester United

Erik ten Hag says he would never play with a player’s fitness as injury-hit Manchester United take on Arsenal on Sunday.

The Red Devils have been plagued by problems during a topsy-turvy campaign which sees them fighting for European qualification and avoiding recording their worst finish in the Premier League.

Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay could return when United host title-chasing Arsenal, although a number of players remain unavailable.

Lisandro Martinez is among the absentees but has pleaded with Ten Hag to let him play on Sunday, but the manager says he will not rush him back despite his backline being as porous as it is patchy.

“He is desperate to play, he misses it so much,” said the United manager. “The team missed him and he wants to play.

“But he’s had three injuries over the course of the season and now he’s almost there, so injury-free, so he’s at the end of the healing process and now he’s got to be back in team training, in games.

“I will never make a bet with a player. Not.

“It’s about them, about their future. This is the most important, about their career. I have to take responsibility for this.

“Of course the club is the most important, but the safety of the player, the health of the player, I think it’s always a higher level.”

Martinez should return from his calf problem before the FA Cup final against Manchester City but remains sidelined by fellow centre-backs Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Raphael Varane and Willy Kambwala.

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Left-backs Luke Shaw – who Ten Hag revealed suffered a setback – and Tyrell Malacia also remain absent from an unbalanced backline punished 4-0 by Crystal Palace on Monday.

Now the Premier League’s most powerful attack comes to Old Trafford as Arsenal continue their battle with reigning champions City for the crown.

“We always go into a game to win, we don’t prepare for the next game,” Ten Hag said.

“Of course (the FA Cup final) is on my mind but we want to put a competitive team on Sunday, a team that wants to win and we pick the best team for Sunday to win that game.

“Arsenal is one of the best teams, or probably the best team. Can you discuss that – are City the best team or are Arsenal the best team at the moment?

“Very safe ball, so very good structures. We know we have to play at our highest level to get a result, but we are capable of it.”

Asked what he was telling fans who thought United had no chance after the performance at Palace, the United boss said: “See the fans on Monday, they were our example. That’s what I told the players.

“They’ve supported us and I think they see how we struggle, they see our problems, so they have a very good understanding of all the injuries that we have, that we struggle.

“But they continue to support the team, so I’m very pleased with them.”