Erik ten Hag is convinced Rasmus Hojlund has the quality, confidence and bravery to flourish at Manchester United as the summer signing prepares to make his debut. The Old Trafford giants have needed a striker for some time and plumped for potential rather than the proven Harry Kane, who instead left Tottenham for perennial Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. United signed talented Hojlund at the start of August in a £64million deal that could reach £72million, but a back issue has prevented him featuring in the first three Premier League matches of the season. But Ten Hag says the 20-year-old is fit to make his debut at Arsenal on Sunday, possibly even from the start, and is excited by the Denmark international’s potential. “He didn’t even play games but now in the training sessions, he confirms the impression we had of him when we scouted him,” the United boss said. “We really intensely scouted him. He’s acting very good this week, very good spirit. He’s very motivated, of course, to start, to be in the team. “He can’t wait and I think we did the right thing (waiting for his debut) but, of course, I would have appreciated it if it was from the first game on, but that was not the case. “But now he is fit, we are happy, he will definitely strengthen the squad and give a very good impact on the team.” Boyhood United fan Hojlund began his career at hometown club FC Copenhagen, before spells with Austria side Sturm Graz and Italian team Atalanta. When he is brave and has belief, the rest will come Erik ten Hag on Rasmus Hojlund The 20-year-old scored nine goals in Serie A last season, as well as six in as many appearances for the Denmark national team. “He is brave and that’s enough,” Ten Hag said. “When he is brave and has belief, the rest will come.” Hojlund’s profile, career trajectory and Scandinavian roots have led to some comparisons to Erling Haaland, who United tried to sign in the past and is now firing in goals aplenty at rivals Manchester City. Asked if he can cope with the comparisons to the Norway striker, Ten Hag said: “I think he is a different character in our squad and that makes it really exciting. “I think for the balance in the squad, it’s very good and already we noticed this week when he came in a different spirit is coming up. “He gives that energy, so you see other players get energy from it, so it’s very good. “Just let him settle in, give him time. No player can act from the start. “Of course we expect a huge impact but also he needs time to settle into the team, to settle into the way of play. “The rest will come. I’m very convinced of that.” Hojlund will face former club FC Copenhagen in the Champions League group stage, where United will also take on Galatasaray and face Kane-led Bayern. “I think we have a very interesting draw,” Ten Hag said. “All big teams, but that is normal in Champions League. “We are really looking forward because you get challenged on the highest level.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Rob Page will not be ‘influenced by negativity’ ahead of critical Wales period Mikel Arteta hails Eddie Nketiah’s fight to play for England after first call-up Getafe boss eager to help Mason Greenwood ‘recover professional status’ in Spain

Vincent Kompany admitted Burnley’s 2-1 home defeat to West Ham was the toughest one to take yet in what has been a miserable start to life back in the Premier League. The Hammers, poor by David Moyes’ own admission for most of the afternoon, scored twice in the space of five minutes to snatch victory away, with Tomas Soucek hitting a superb volley to win it in the first minute of stoppage-time. It was a seventh-straight home defeat for Burnley to start the season and leaves them bottom of the table with just four points from 13 games. “You can say that,” Kompany said with a rueful laugh when asked if this was the hardest one yet of Burnley’s 11 defeats. “It’s what makes this game beautiful but also what makes this game hard. “There’s no other way to say it. Today was a tough one to take but I’ve mentioned it before, it’s still a universal recipe, you’ve got to get back up and keep going.” Burnley had led through Jay Rodriguez’s 49th-minute penalty after Luca Koleosho had been tripped by Mohammed Kudus and West Ham, without the injured Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio, rarely threatened to get back into the game. But that all changed in a frantic finish as Kudus atoned for conceding the penalty by setting up the equaliser, with his cross deflected in by Dara O’Shea for an own goal and then picking out Soucek to strike the winner. “You have to play until the end but in minute 86, probably what I would have said was how outstanding the performance was, on the ball, off the ball, disciplined, mature,” Kompany said. “But as it is in football, it is shaped fairly by the result and every minute of the game is as important as the first one and in this case it’s tough… “When you go home, if your children fall down what do you tell them? ‘Get back up and go again’. But you also have to really believe in that. I always have. “What happens in the last five minutes is we throw everything away. It’s not good enough but it’s not supposed to be easy to get up to this level.” Moyes recognised his side were lucky to escape Turf Moor with the points. “I certainly didn’t see it (coming) at half-time with the way we started the game,” he said. “To get in at 0-0 was as good as it could get. “We hadn’t played well in the first half at all, we were too slow, we never affected Burnley…The climax was great, it shows a lot of the things we’ve got about the team. “A bit of resilience, we stuck at it, never wilted and had to find a way of getting a goal. “We didn’t play at our best today. A lot of players were nowhere near their levels but ultimately we got three points in the Premier league.” Soucek was the matchwinner in the 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest before the international break, then scored two in two for the Czech Republic, before his sixth club goal of the season and ninth overall broke Burnley hearts here. “Tomas scored for the Czech Republic in midweek, he’s scored today, he scored against Forest so really he’s in a bit of goalscoring form,” Moyes said. “He took it really well and he took it as someone who’s got a bit more confidence in his finishing. “When he first came in he got 10 goals in his first season, last year not so much but this year, I think he is up to six already so that’s great.” Read More Jonathan Obika’s last-gasp equaliser earns Motherwell point at Celtic Opposing managers happy with a point as Manchester City and Liverpool draw Banner calling for release of activist in UAE flown over Etihad Stadium Man Utd have reached ‘turning point’ ahead of crucial week – Erik ten Hag On This Day in 2020: Gunners welcome their fans back in style Miami Dolphins take down New York Jets in 21-point win

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