“We feel strong” – Erik ten Hag suggests playing away from home is ‘never an issue’ as Manchester United prepare to visit Chelsea

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has claimed that his team are completely focused on the clash against Chelsea, adding that playing away from home has never fazed them.

With only one point separating them, fifth-placed Manchester United will travel to Stamford Bridge to take on fourth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday (October 22).

United are coming into the match on the back of a morale-boosting 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, while the Blues drew goalless with Brentford in their last outing.

Ten Hag will be without Cristiano Ronaldo for the trip to west London, as he has been suspended after refusing to come off the bench against Tottenham on Wednesday (October 16).

Benched the captain, rewards good performances, demands discipline, told the club to suspend player's contract talks, and has dropped Cristiano Ronaldo for being unprofessional — there's only one boss at Manchester United.

Erik ten Hag ❤️ https://t.co/7IoAbp5CHn

Many of the questions at the pre-match press conference were regarding Ronaldo’s walk-off and subsequent suspension.

The Dutch manager acknowledged the natural inquisitiveness of the reporters, but firmly directed their focus back to the match at hand.

The former Ajax boss said (via the Manchester Evening News):

“I understand there are questions about that but at the same time it's about Chelsea, we have a big game to play, my focus is on the game, the focus of the staff and the players is on that game. We have to win that game and have the concentration to play our best.”

Ten Hag then played down the pressure of playing away from home, claiming Manchester United are never short of supporters, even away from home.

He added:

“For me it is never an issue away from home. The pitch is the same size, 11 vs 11, there is a ref and we always have a lot of support from our fans. We feel strong.”

A win on Saturday would see Manchester United leapfrog Chelsea into fourth place in the league standings. The Mancunians are currently on a five-game unbeaten run across competitions, winning four times and drawing once.

Erik ten Hag admits that Manchester United will miss Cristiano Ronaldo against Chelsea

The Red Devils boss has admitted that his team will miss the services of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. However, he remains confident that punishing him for the walk-off was the right thing for the team.

Cristiano Ronaldo: “I just feel I have to keep working hard, support my teammates and be ready. This is Manchester United, and united we stand”. 🔴🇵🇹 #MUFC

Full statement here ⤵️📑 https://t.co/6Mddt380CY

Ten Hag added:

“We [will] miss him [Cristiano Ronaldo] tomorrow. It's a miss for the squad but it's important for the attitude and mentality of the group and now we have to focus on Chelsea as that is important.”

Ronaldo has featured in 12 games for Manchester United this season across competitions, netting twice and claiming an assist.