'You have to forget it' - Diogo Dalot reveals he battled through pain to help injury-ravaged Man Utd and urges more players to be like robust Bruno Fernandes

United have suffered more than 60 injuries this season, leading to players missing a combined total of more than 350 matches. The injury crisis contributed to the Red Devils ending the season in eighth, their lowest finish in the Premier League era, while losing a record 14 matches. And Dalot said the crisis meant he had to keep playing in matches while hurting.

Dalot told reporters: "Yeah a few obviously but that’s part of being a football player. Are you ready to cope with it? Are you ready to make an extra mile for the team? Especially this season. And there are games that you have to forget a little bit of the pain. The problems that you are having. Because the team needs you, because there are no players. That obviously happened sometimes this season, but for me it’s just… In my head it’s normal."

Dalot played the most Premier League minutes of any United outfield player this season, with Bruno Fernandes just trailing him. The United captain has been praised by Erik ten Hag on repeated occasions for always being available. Indeed, the game with Crystal Palace in May was the first match he has ever missed in his entire career due to injury.

"He’s been one of the cases that obviously… he is showing that he’s doing everything that he can to play for the club and to help the club," Dalot said of Fernandes. "He’s been available every game and it shows that if you are available, you are closest to play games. This is the kind of way that I think every club, every squad should go because if you have 70-80 percent of the players available every season, I think it’s going to be a lot easier than if you have 10-15%."

United's deep injury problems have led to them fielding 32 different back fours throughout the season. Ten Hag has also played eight different players at centre-back, most recently having to deploy Casemiro there with dire consequences. United have also had no natural left-back since Luke Shaw got injured in mid-February.

United will hope to end their dismal season on a high by beating Premier League champions and arch rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday although Pep Guardiola's side are overwhelming favourites. “For me personally, it gives me more energy. You shouldn't be the underdog when you're at Manchester United," Dalot added. "But at the same time we're facing a team that has been dominating English football - whether we like it or not - and we want to be there. We want to be the team in the future that everyone thinks is going to win automatically."