“We recently had an undisclosed match against Burnley, and I was not pleased with the performance of these specific players. It’s baffling because it appears they are declining day by day.” – The involvement of five experienced players in a humiliating friendly loss, kept secret from fans, raises apprehensions about their Manchester United future, presenting Erik ten Hag with few alternatives.

In an unforeseen turn of events, five essential players from Manchester United’s senior first-team experienced a surprising friendly loss on Wednesday. The team encountered Burnley in a closed-doors match at the Carrington training center, succumbing to a 3-1 defeat against Vincent Kompany’s side.

Notably, this marks the second instance this season in which Burnley, currently positioned 19th in the Premier League and struggling, emerged victorious over United in a friendly, following a 3-0 win at Carrington in August. Burnley, with a mere 12 points from 21 games, finds itself five points adrift of safety in the league standings.

The significant margin of defeat in this friendly encounter may evoke concerns among United fans, especially given the participation of five regular first-team players. As per reports from The Athletic, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro, and Antony each contributed 45 to 60 minutes in the discreet match, with Casemiro managing to score United’s sole goal from the penalty spot. Furthermore, Amad Diallo, recovering from a knee injury sustained last summer, featured in the match amid speculation about a potential loan move away from the club this month.

Despite the disheartening outcome, United supporters can take solace in the primary purpose of the friendly, which was to facilitate the recovery of players returning from injuries. Maguire, absent since a groin injury against Bayern Munich on December 12, and Shaw, who last played on December 23 following a three-month injury hiatus, utilized the match to regain match fitness. Martinez, recovering from a four-month foot problem, used the opportunity to enhance his fitness levels after returning to action against Tottenham earlier in the month.

Casemiro, subject to scrutiny amidst his team’s challenging season, gained valuable playing time in Wednesday’s friendly after being on the bench in the previous match against Burnley. Despite the team’s struggles, the adept management of frequent injuries to key players by Ten Hag should not be underestimated. Following Wednesday’s defeat, United is slated to resume competitive action on Sunday with an away match against League Two Newport County in the FA Cup’s fourth round.