"My body feels good again" - Manchester United star tells national team manager he's not ready to play 90 minutes
Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund has urged Denmark's caretaker manager Lars Knudsen to not play him for the entire 90 minutes against Spain. The two sides will face off in the UEFA Nations League Group 4 clash at Estadio Nueva Condomina on Saturday, October 12.
Hojlund has only recently returned from a hamstring injury, which saw him miss the first five games across competitions this season. He also missed the UEFA Nations League fixtures with Denmark in September. He has now recovered and is in the Danish squad as they prepare to face Spain.
However, before the match, Hojlund said about his fitness (via Metro):
"There is no point in rushing things and risking another injury.
"My body feels good again. I might be ready to play 90 minutes, but if I also use my brain a little bit, I don’t think 90 minutes on Saturday against Spain is a good idea."
Hojlund has played 174 minutes of football across five appearances for Manchester United since returning from injury and scored one goal. He is an important player for Denmark, having scored seven goals and provided one assist in 18 caps so far.
Tottenham defender named Manchester United's Rasmus Hojlund among strikers he looks forward to facing
Tottenham Hotspur Micky van de Ven arrived at the club from VfB Wolfsburg last summer but has already faced many excellent strikers in the Premier League. He recently said that he looks forward to these matchups as they provide a good challenge. The Dutchman said (via Tribal Football):
"All strikers in the Premier League are serious challenges. If you're not sharp enough, they score.
"Last time we played against Manchester United, we met Joshua Zirkzee. He's a top player. Then Rasmus Hojlund came in. Also a top player. It's matchups that you look forward to. The same applies to Arsenal with Kai Havertz, Manchester City and Liverpool."
Hojlund came on as a substitute in the 77th minute when Manchester United hosted Van de Ven and Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month. It was a total domination for Spurs as they comfortably won 3-0, with Bruno Fernandes also sent off in the 42nd minute.
Hojlund's only goal this season came in a 3-3 draw against FC Twente in the UEFA Europa League. It was Manchester United's second draw in two games in the tournament and they sit 21st in the new league table.