7:12PM
What would be a good result for United?
One suspects Ten Hag would bite your hand off for a point tonight, let alone all three. To put United’s challenge tonight into some perspective, Bayern are unbeaten in their last 27 home group stage games in the Champions League dating back almost a decade. The last team to win here in the group stage? Manchester City, in December 2013. Bayern have won their opening group stage game in each of their last 19 Champions League campaigns, scoring 47 goals and conceding just two in the process, and have won their last 14 home group stage matches.
7:11PM
James Ducker is in situ at the Allianz Arena
Erik ten Hag has abandoned the midfield diamond he deployed in the defeat to Brighton on Saturday and drafted in the young Uruguay international Facundo Pellistri for only his second United start at the expense of Scott McTominay. With Antony and Jadon Sancho unavailable due to off field issues and Mason Mount not yet back to full fitness after a hamstring injury, Pellistri gets his chance in United’s troublesome right wing spot.
United are severely depleted – one glance at the substitutes’ bench underlines that. Ten Hag has named three goalkeepers among his substitutes and Jonny Evans, the 35-year-old veteran Northern Ireland centre-half, is the only recognised defender among them. Ten Hag is without nine senior players through injury plus the absent Antony and Sancho - around six of which could be considered first choice starters - while Donny van de Beek is ineligible after being omitted from United’s Champions League squad.
7:08PM
It’s a first-ever Champions League start for Facundo Pellistri tonight
Credit: Getty Images/Ash Donelon
5:19PM
Erik ten Hag: I’ve never been able to name my strongest Man Utd XI
Erik ten Hag has admitted his concerns about Manchester United’s growing injury crisis and claimed an extensive casualty list has prevented him from being able to consistently field his best starting XI from the moment he joined the club.
United will be without 12 senior players against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena after a severely depleted 21-man squad featuring four goalkeepers arrived in Germany on Tuesday night under pressure to ease their mounting problems.
Bayern are unbeaten in 27 home Champions League group stage matches dating back almost a decade and have won their opening fixture in each of the last 19 campaigns going back 20 years, whereas United have a dire record in big games away from home under Ten Hag.
While Jadon Sancho and Antony are missing due to off field issues and Donny van de Beek is ineligible after being omitted from United’s Champions League squad, Ten Hag has nine players unavailable through injury, including new signing Sofyan Amrabat.
Raphael Varane and Mason Mount have returned to training following injuries but were not deemed ready to face Bayern while Harry Maguire – whom Harry Kane believes has become a “scapegoat” – reported a complaint despite completing Tuesday’s session and has not travelled. Luke Shaw, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Tyrell Malacia, Kobbie Mainoo and Amad Diallo are also missing in addition to Amrabat.
Erik ten Hag has a tough job on his hands Credit: Shutterstock/Anna Szilagyi
“Of course it’s a concern but that’s why we constructed the squad with depth so we can deal with it,” said Ten Hag, whose side’s 3-1 loss at home to Brighton was their third defeat in four matches. “One thing is true, I think from the start last season I almost never started with the best starting XI, there was always something like an injury.
“But you have to deal with it and we always got the results in, apart from the period we are in now. That is football and I have the experience in the past, I managed it in the past, it’s not always going up and you have to deal with it.
“Of course we analyse why things happen but we also have to deal with the facts and it’s always about the players available.”
Ten Hag’s Ajax were the last team to avoid defeat away to Bayern in the Champions League group stage in October 2018, since when the German champions have won 14 successive group games at the Allianz. Ten Hag has warned his players they cannot switch off for a moment.
“They have very attractive players, very skilful, you can’t be unfocused for one second, one split second because there is so much individual class that they have,” the United manager said. “But they also leave you sometimes space but we are very respectful of Bayern, especially in the Champions League, especially at the group stage at home they are very strong.”
United’s season has been beset with problems so far and Thomas Tuchel, the Bayern coach and former Chelsea manager, believes the shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson still looms large over the club.
“I felt with Manchester United there was always a lot of noise, a lot of pundits are ex-players from Manchester United, you have this legacy from Sir Alex Ferguson which creates a lot of pressure, a lot of expectation around Manchester United,” Tuchel said.
