“[It’s down to] illness,” Ten Hag told TNT Sports. “Of course, it’s especially when you need a strong squad for this game, it limits your opportunities from the bench. They’d either be in the starting XI or on the bench, but now it’s neither and against a team like Bayern, you need the subs. But we have to do it without them, that’s how it is.”
The attacking pair could return in time for the trip to Liverpool on Sunday, and some positive news has been received with Martinez resuming training as he steps up his fitness, but Ten Hag will be concerned over the number of unavailable players at United.
With Fernandes suspended for the Liverpool match, he already has a conundrum over who to play as the attacking midfielder as the Red Devils attempt to avoid a similar humiliation to last season when they were demolished 7-0 by Jurgen Klopp’s outfit.
