New signings Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui will be in the squad but only arrived on Thursday.

They have had a limited chance to train with their new team-mates, leaving Ten Hag with a selection dilemma for the match at Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, defender Luke Shaw has been sidelined with a calf injury, new £52m defender Leny Yoro was ruled out for three months at the beginning of August, and forward Rasmus Hojlund has a hamstring problem.

United committed to spending close to £60m by bringing defenders De Ligt and Mazraoui to the club from Bayern Munich.

“The team is not ready but the league starts,” said Ten Hag.

“We can’t hide from it. We have to deal with it.”

United’s other summer signing, Netherlands striker Joshua Zirkee, was an unused substitute during the Community Shield defeat by Manchester City and could make his debut against Fulham.

Ten Hag has to solve a selection problem at left-back, with Shaw not fit because of a calf injury and Tyrell Malacia ruled out for another two months as he continues to recover from knee surgery.

Mazraoui could be one answer, while Diogo Dalot and Lisandro Martinez filled in during last Saturday’s Community Shield.

Despite there being selection issues, Ten Hag still expects to field a strong line-up.

“It’s not about the players who are not available,” the Dutchman said.

“It’s also what I said always last season: it’s about the players who are available and we have a good group, we can make a strong selection.”

Shaw has not featured for United since February, chiefly because of a hamstring injury, although he was eventually fit enough to play for England at Euro 2024.

Ten Hag is confident Shaw will be ready soon and is looking forward to him returning.

“He will return in the short term,” Ten Hag said. “It doesn’t take long.

“Luke is a very important player for our team so we want to get him back as soon as possible but we can’t force this process.”