Man Utd defender Harry Maguire praised for 'overcoming' first-half injury to complete 90 minutes against Bournemouth as Red Devils' fitness worries continue

The Red Devils' trip to the Vitality Stadium failed to bear fruit as they travelled back with just a solitary point after having fallen behind twice during the proceedings. After the match, Ten Hag revealed that Maguire had picked up an injury in the first half but decided to play through the pain barrier amid a major injury crisis in defence for the Red Devils.

Speaking after the match to the media, Ten Hag said [via ManUtd.com]: "One thing was Harry Maguire had an issue in the first half and for us, he overcame [it].

"During the game, he recovered from it and you see in the second half, he was up there and then he can express his leadership, he can express his defending qualities and his [ability] on the ball.

"We needed that in this back four, we lost some balls in areas we shouldn’t lose them. For instance, the first goal, the setup was good, but in that area, you should never lose the ball."

The 2-2 draw against Bournemouth was yet another calamitous showing from Manchester United's defensive setup as they conceded a total of 20 shots at Andre Onana's goal. They have now faced a shocking 20 or more shots in nine of their last 10 matches in the Premier League as per Squawka, and have also conceded a total of 565 shots this season. Part of the blame can be shifted on the fact that Ten Hag has not had a stable backline through the last few months due to his defenders' injury issues. He currently has Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans unavailable for selection.

Ten Hag's comments about Maguire's apparent injury would have forced some tension onto Man Utd fans, however, the Dutchman also revealed that Maguire had recovered from the knock in the second half and will likely be available for their FA Cup semi-final clash against Coventry City on April 21.