Manchester United return to motion on Saturday when Brentford, who’ve made a behavior of scoring early targets this season, at Previous Trafford.
Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are inching ever nearer to being obtainable as soon as extra, however this weekend has nonetheless come too quickly for the pair. It implies that left-back stays a headache for Erik ten Hag, with Noussair Mazraoui underoing a minor coronary heart process and solely simply returning to coaching.
Mazraoui had been beginning video games at right-back, however his presence there meant that Diogo Dalot was in a position to fill in on the left. Now, with Mazraoui maybe nonetheless a doubt and Dalot the one undoubtedly obtainable senior full-back, Ten Hag has a choice to make over how he places collectively his defence for this one.
Maybe the obvious resolution is to stay with Dalot at left-back and provide you with an emergency resolution on the appropriate as an alternative.
It is not the Portuguese’s most well-liked facet of the pitch, however, no less than as a specialist full-back, he’s probably greatest geared up to take care of the chief Brentford risk of Bryan Mbeumo, who tends to function on the Bees’ proper flank.
Dalot did keep on the left even when Mazraoui went off at half-time towards Aston Villa and made a game-saving block in the direction of the tip, which may very well be a clue as to Ten Hag’s considering.
Nonetheless, the choice mind-set is that maintaining Dalot on the left leaves United with two sq. pegs in spherical holes. If Ten Hag returns him to the appropriate, it is one at most. Then, the Dutchman would wish to evaluate who’s most suited to the left-back problem.
Victor Lindelof bought his first minutes of the season at Villa Park, changing Mazraoui for the second half and ending the 0-0 draw at right-back. That would proceed for the go to of Brentford, however the Iceman, who additionally performed 28 minutes for Sweden in the course of the worldwide break, spent a substantial period of time filling in at left-back final season – together with at dwelling towards Brentford.
After a troublesome evening towards Porto within the Europa League, Lisandro Martinez was withdrawn from the highlight at Villa Park. The Argentine would ordinarily be a starter within the centre of defence however it stays to be seen how Ten Hag views that scenario, though Harry Maguire is now sidelined.
Martinez did characteristic at left-back at Wembley again in August, when United have been solely denied a win over Manchester Metropolis within the Group Protect by a late equaliser. He marked Oscar Bobb that day.
A left-back with plenty of expertise and potential that United followers are but to see at senior stage is Harry Amass. {The teenager} hadn’t lengthy turned 17 when he began being constantly named on the first-team bench within the latter phases of final season, however this marketing campaign has to this point been spent been spent taking part in often in Premier League 2 after being promoted from the Below-18 squad.
Amass did characteristic throughout pre-season and has been personally name-dropped by Luke Shaw in the previous few months as somebody to keep watch over. However this might be a baptism of fireplace.
If Ten Hag would not reshuffle a centre-back out to the left and is cautious of doubtless throwing Amass to the lions, a teenager with a bit of extra senior expertise is Toby Collyer.
Though a midfielder by commerce, Collyer has already performed at left-back towards Barnsley within the Carabao Cup. He’s additionally nicely favored by Ten Hag, who turned to the 20-year-old at half-time within the September defeat to Liverpool when Casemiro was struggling.
