Harry Maguire claims the loss of Rasmus Hojlund affected United in Fulham defeat

Manchester United have lost another game at Old Trafford this season as Fulham deservedly collected three points on Saturday afternoon.

The mood at United has been good in recent weeks as Erik ten Hag’s men have put a winning streak together, winning each of the last four Premier League games.

That has forced the side back into the Champions League conversation and with other sides dropping points frequently, it was looking entirely plausible that United could snag a fourth-place finish.

That optimism was paused this afternoon when Fulham put that run to an end, with Alex Iwobi scoring a stoppage-time winner at Old Trafford to ensure Aston Villa extended the gap between themselves and the Reds.

Rasmus Hojlund scored in each of United’s wins, with the Danish star scoring seven goals in his last six appearances. In the days leading up to the game, it was revealed that Hojlund will miss the next three weeks through injury.

Speaking after the defeat to Fulham, Harry Maguire conceded that the loss of Hojlund affected the side.

“We got hit by the injury to Rasmus, who has been big focal point for us but it is up to us to find the solutions and the areas we need to improve on,” Maguire is quoted as saying by the BBC.

“He has been our focal point, we can play into him, he holds it up, he starts the press really well, not only that but Marcus has been playing really well on the left.

“It’s the story of our season, we’ve been injury hit – as other teams have – and we need to find a solution quick.”

United now face a trip to Nottingham Forest in midweek as Ten Hag looks to pick his side back up and qualify for the next round of the FA Cup.