Ten Hag wants ‘hungry players’ to fire Manchester United up the table

Manchester United need players who will “fight for the badge”, according to Erik ten Hag, as they try to climb the table. Ten Hag’s side sit 14 points behind the leaders, Liverpool, after 20 matches and welcome fifth-placed Tottenham to Old Trafford on Sunday.

“If you want to perform you need hungry players,” Ten Hag said. “You need players with personalities and who are hungry to fight for the badge and fight for this club. And they need to do this in a team. It’s not about discipline. It’s about normal behaviour. That is what you can expect from a top professional.”

Related: Antony’s poor Manchester United form down to ‘off-field issues’, claims Ten Hag

United have been hit by an injury crisis throughout the season but there is light at the end of the tunnel after having a bench for Monday’s FA Cup win at Wigan where all the outfield players were academy graduates. Antony, Christian Eriksen, Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martínez and Casemiro could feature on Sunday after time on the sidelines to boost a side that have won one of their past five Premier League games.

“I am managing a project here and I know when you get setbacks like the injuries we had, no team can handle so many injuries and you will drop off a level,” Ten Hag said. “We made some choices in the summer, for the future, but we know we have to perform and we want to do it at short notice, so as quick as possible and I know we don’t have time.

“The choices we made, we signed talent – and talent needs time, like the development, now you see the progress of [Alejandro] Garnacho, of Kobbie Mainoo, and for instance Rasmus Højlund, he needs time, but at the same moment we don’t have time. I knew this could happen. You need time to get the progress in, so for me it’s not difficult. I see it very rational that this is how a process could go.”

Jadon Sancho was allowed to leave to join Borussia Dortmund on loan and he could be followed out by Hannibal Mejbri and Facundo Pellistri. If United were to replace these players, they would most likely need to be with loans. Last January they signed Wout Weghorst and Marcel Sabitzer in an attempt to bolster their ranks in the short term. “You always have to consider such choices,” Ten Hag said. “They are two very good loans; Sabitzer and Wout Weghorst really contributed to our success last year. When such opportunities come up, we have to take them.”