The former Leipzig coach also made the rounds of players injured or lacking playing time that he took over. This is particularly the case of Thomas Meunier : “He was injured after the World Cup, he missed a few games with Borussia Dortmund. He only played a few minutes, firstly because Dortmund had a very good period. They won 8-9 games in a row and I think the manager had the mentality not to change a winning team. I spoke to Thomas and he asked the manager to play with the B team against Dynamo Dresden last weekend. It’s a very professional thing. I had young players in the past, when they were asked to play with the B team, it was not easy, psychologically. He is 31 years old and he asked to play with the B team to see if he was ready or not. It’s something that I really appreciated. Of course, it’s a back. It’s important to us. He played for Brugge, Paris, Dortmund, more than 400 games and it’s also a question of position. If he was a defensive midfielder, it would probably be different“.
Jérémy Doku is also uncertain and his case will be assessed at the start of the rally: “I called him yesterday to get the latest information. He has been training since Monday individually. He did everything, changes of direction, sprints, crosses, so he’s good. He will increase the intensity during the weekend. And on Monday, we’ll do an exam, just to be sure. And then we’ll make a decision. If he is ready, he will stay with us. Otherwise, he will leave and we will call another player“.
Dennis Praet, in lack of playing time on the side of Leicester is a small surprise of the selection of Tedesco. But for the coach, the former Anderlechtois deserves his place: “I took it for its qualities. I appreciate the fact that he has an impact on the game when he returns. It doesn’t matter if he goes up when Leicester leads 4-1 against Tottenham or if it’s 2-0 for the opposition. He always does a good job. He presses aggressively, he is very concerned. I have a very good impression. That’s why we decided to take him back with the team“.
The Red Devils will travel to Sweden on March 24 to kick off their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign and then play a friendly match in Germany on March 28.
