Antoiny and Sancho absent as three Manchester United players drafted to start on the right wing against Brighton &Hove
Erik ten Hag faces a selection dilemma ahead of Manchester United’s Premier League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
Antony was placed on “leave of absence” after accusations of assaulting women.
Jadon Sancho could have started, but instead he chose a public brawl with Ten Hag.
Man United confirmed that Sancho will follow an “individual training program outside of the first team, pending resolution of disciplinary issues within the team”.
It’s hard to see him back in the team until he apologizes to the coach and promises to improve his behavior in training.
This leaves Ten Hag lacking timely options.
Here we look at three players who could fill this role in the absence of Antony and Sancho.
Facundo Pellistri
The Uruguay international is Ten Hag’s only natural right winger.
He did well and showed flashes of brilliance in the limited opportunities he received last season.
This is the perfect time for Pellistri to step up and show that he can start for a big club like Man United.
It remains to be seen whether Ten Hag has enough confidence to give him a starting spot or select him instead.
Bruno Fernandes
Last season, the Portuguese player excelled, playing a few matches on the right wing when Antony was injured.
He could try to cut inside, allowing Aaron Wan-Bissaka to overlap.
Antony rarely makes crosses from a wide position.
Having Fernandes there could remove this limitation.
The United captain can do a good job on the wing, but his best position is in the center, where he has more space to make his passes.CD vA
We prefer him as a number 10 rather than on the right wing.
Marcus Rashford
Mason Mount may have been added to the list but the former Chelsea man remains sidelined.
Man United’s talisman, Rashford has played on the right wing many times in his career.
If Ten Hag moves him to the right wing, Alejandro Garnacho could return to the starting lineup.
The front three of Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund and Rashford look threatening on the log.
However, Rashford is more comfortable on the left wing.
He struggled in the first two games this season when the manager asked him to lead the attack.
Ten Hag has ranked him as a favorite in the past two matches.
He responded with an assist, converted a penalty and scored the opening goal against Arsenal.