Yet there is a counter-argument Ten Hag could have seen this coming.
Shaw, Mount, Varane, Lindelof, Martial and Evans all have patchy injury records. Could they be relied on to provide support this season?
Brazilian wide-man Antony is among those who have stayed fit.
Ten Hag pushed to sign the 24-year-old in September 2022. He was a player known to the Dutchman from his time at Ajax.
BBC Sport has previously been told Antony was put forward as a potential target during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s time in charge. He wasn’t dismissed as an option but only at a cost of around £30m.
United eventually paid £84.5m, making Antony the second most expensive player in their history.
In 54 Premier League appearances, he has scored five goals and been credited with three assists. Against Arsenal, he was left on the bench in preference to Amad Diallo, who United paid £19m for in 2021 and had previously started two top-flight games. Antony was an unused substitute against Newcastle and Brighton.
Ten Hag did want Harry Kane in attack but finances would not allow and instead United went for Danish youngster Rasmus Hojlund at £72m from Atalanta.
Hojlund is viewed as a player for the future but with Martial sidelined so frequently has had to shoulder the burden of spearheading United’s attack.
Goals against Newcastle and Brighton mean he finished as United’s joint-top Premier League goalscorer, with skipper Bruno Fernandes, on 10. But that underlines Marcus Rashford’s nosedive in form, scoring just eight goals this season, compared to 30 in 2022-23.