Ten Hag confirms when Sabitzer will make Manchester United bow

The midfielder arrived on loan from Bayern Munich late in the January transfer window, coming in to cover for the injured Christian Eriksen over the rest of the season.

While it is a short-term deal for the Austrian, he is expected to play a role in the first team and Ten Hag says he is fit enough to go straight into the squad on Saturday against the Eagles at Old Trafford.

Asked in a press conference on Friday whether Sabitzer would be involved on Saturday, Ten Hag said: ‘Yes.’

Asked about the 28-year-old’s fitness, he added: ‘Very good. Of course, he did only one session but you can see he’s a very fit player and I didn’t have different expectations coming from Bayern Munich, German, their fitness is always good. So I think he is ready to play.’

The midfielder is likely to make his debut for the Red Devils this weekend, and Ten Hag did not even rule out it coming in the starting XI on Saturday.

‘I think he’s a really smart player and I think we gave him some guidance but he knows what to do, he knows the job,’ said the Dutchman.

United take on Crystal Palace again after being held to a draw at Selhurst Park just last month in a performance which disappointed Ten Hag.

‘We have a lot to do against them, two weeks ago, we had a bad performance there, I wasn’t happy with the performance from us, it was 90 per cent focus and energy and we dropped two points,’ he said.

‘Tomorrow we need a better game, better focus in the game, better conduct in the way of play because we have to beat them because that’s quite clear.’

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