Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, has a new challenge during the international break, but there is an easy fix.
Manchester United didn’t need to worry about any more injuries during this international break. Two new concerns for the trip to Everton next weekend surfaced in one fell swoop on Friday, though one selection conundrum will be resolved without much difficulty.
If Andre Onana is unable to play, Altay Bayindir, a recent addition, will almost certainly step up to fill the void. The criticism of Marcus Rashford, though, was far more serious.
Rashford was already playing out of position on the right to allow Alejandro Garnacho, who is younger, to assume his preferred spot on the left, as a result of other players’ subpar play. The journey to Merseyside offers the opportunity to give the England international and one of his colleagues what they deserve, even though the winger’s problem is not expected to be catastrophic.
It must be admitted Rashford’s form has not been up to scratch this season. Where last year he was confident, this campaign has been littered with mediocre performances and he has not clocked up the statistics we have been accustomed to seeing.
Erik ten Hag has the opportunity to give Rashford the recharge he needs, even though no one wishes it had come from an injury scare. Rashford has been overdue for a respite from the starting lineup. Who could take his position is the current question.
Although Rashford has performed better than Antony, the latter is still the favorite. Facundo Pellistri, though, is a man who merits a chance.
In his most recent performance for United, the Uruguayan helped the Reds defeat Fulham 1-0 at Craven Cottage by providing a vital assist. He looked more promising in those 27 minutes on the field than Antony had in the previous hour, so it was puzzling to see him sit on the bench when the Brazilian replaced him against Luton Town the other night.
Furthermore, Ten Hag has previously acknowledged that he ought to have given Pellistri a fair chance to succeed. The Dutchman praised the winger’s performance against Real Betis in the Europa League back in March.