Manchester United will be hoping their season can finally get off the ground following the international break as they welcome Brighton and Hove Albion to Old Trafford this afternoon.
Erik ten Hag isn’t under pressure yet, but if his team carry on in the same fashion which has seen them secure just two wins from four Premier League matches, the Dutchman will soon start to feel the heat.
Summer signing Rasmus Hojlund made his first appearance for the club against Arsenal two weeks ago, and he could well be in line for his first start today.
Will Rasmus Hojlund start for Manchester United vs Brighton?
Having joined the Red Devils for a fee of £72m from Atalanta, the Danish striker took a few weeks to make his debut due to a back injury, but the United faithful will be hoping he is ready to hit the ground running from now on.
The 20-year-old netted 16 goals throughout the 2022/23 campaign and emerged as one of the most highly-rated young talents on the continent.
He did play just 23 minutes against the Gunners, yet the club clearly need a change up front and there is no doubt he could offer more than Anthony Martial – who has scored just 11 league goals across the last three seasons combined.
The key question for Ten Hag is, who will he deploy on the right wing alongside him, especially with Antony missing the tie.
Could Alejandro Garnacho replace Antony?
The talented Argentinian first began to make an impression for the Old Trafford side last season, enjoying a breakthrough campaign in which he made 34 appearances across all competitions, registering ten goal contributions – five goals and five assists – all before he turned 19 years of age.
The youngster primarily operates on the left wing yet is capable of performing on the opposite flank when required, and it’s clear that Ten Hag may need him to step in for Antony for the foreseeable future.
Hailed as a “game-changer” by Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst back in January, the 19-year-old could give the United attack something different and a partnership of him and Hojlund could be the catalyst that kick-starts their season.
The winger has started two out of their four games this term and has averaged 51 minutes per game, impressing in flashes, particularly against Tottenham Hotspur.
Despite suffering a 2-0 defeat to Ange Postecoglou’s men, Garnacho attempted three shots at goal, made one key pass and succeeded with 50% of his dribble attempts as he sought to create something for United during the tie.
He started on the bench against the Gunners, yet after coming on with just six minutes left, it looked as though he had netted the winner, running onto a Marcus Rashford pass and slotting the ball past Aaron Ramsdale.
The £50k-per-week teenager had strayed just offside however and the effort was ruled out, with Arsenal subsequently going on to score two late goals of their own, but it’s evident that the youngster offers a major attacking threat.
Ten Hag has no choice but to deploy him today and if he performs well, he could very well prove the long-term solution in that right-wing berth.