Erik ten Hag drops early Manchester United team news hint ahead of Brentford clash

Erik ten Hag may have provided an early team news clue ahead of Manchester United's Premier League clash against Brentford on Saturday evening.

The Reds are bidding to build on their most recent success against Liverpool in the FA Cup prior to the international break and could be boosted by the return of several first-team players. Mason Mount featured during extra time at Old Trafford, and Rasmus Hojlund also played 71 minutes.

Clues have been sporadic in recent days, with the fitness of Harry Maguire, Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Anthony Martial all kept under wraps, but Ten Hag has admitted that he feels several of his more senior names could feature against Thomas Frank's strugglers this weekend.

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"They are returning, they are not 100% already but tomorrow some will line up and come up," began the Dutchman as he spoke to club's website.

"We hope to have them in the team because by the end of the season, we are in finals and we want to play our strongest teams. We therefore need our strongest team in that moment. Therefore they have to work to [reach] those levels."

With Brentford having struggled for form across the campaign, United will hope to bolster their own aspirations of a top-four finish this season, as the chase continues on Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur for a vital spot in next year's European competitions.

"It is a very strong team, they have very good performances," added Erik on the Bees' recent fortunes. "They have very strong attributes so therefore we need those components we discussed and when we don't give 100% you can't win