Antony still cannot return to MU because of problems related to allegations of violence, the Red Devils clearly need to find a way to fill the void left by number 21.
After another poor start to the Premier League season, with an injury crisis and the club’s image damaged following Mason Greenwood’s handling of the situation, the last thing Manchester United need is New assault charges against Antony.
The latest allegations against the Brazilian winger, which he denies, have shocked the football world and Manchester United fans, leading to further criticism of how the club has dealt with the accusations. Serious allegations against their players.
This saga also directly affects the team as Manchester United have decided to put Antony on leave while he faces those charges, leaving Erik ten Hag without a player he has promoted to the club recruited for £85 million ($106 million) nearly a year ago.
Although Antony is yet to score or assist this season, he is highly rated by Ten Hag for his defensive work and has featured in all four of Manchester United’s Premier League matches. However, his absence creates a great opportunity for the other members of Ten Hag’s squad, who now have the chance to prove their worth and take the vacant spot in the starting lineup.
GOAL assesses the manager’s options ahead of a crucial run of matches, as Manchester United host Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday before starting their Champions League campaign with a match against Bayern Munich on Wednesday…
The most obvious and arguably the most likely option for Ten Hag is to do as he has done on previous occasions when Antony was absent: play Bruno Fernandes on the right wing. This is what the Dutch did in the FA Cup final against Manchester City (Manchester United lost 2-1) and Premier League matches against City, Aston Villa and Leicester last season, in which Manchester United all won. win.
The only problem is that this risks pushing Fernandes, who is arguably Manchester United’s most important player, too far out of the situation and limiting his influence on the team’s play. This also doesn’t suit the captain’s strengths as he lacks pace compared to most wingers and is more suited to playing a number 10 or number 8 role.
Although Fernandes has proven that he is willing to play in any role the team needs, and is happy to sacrifice his creativity to help the team, the last thing the coach wants is to limit his brilliance. of his star man, who dragged Manchester United to victory in their last home match against Nottingham Forest while playing the number 10 role.
Fernandes also put in a dominant performance for Portugal in the No. 8 role on the right wing of a three-man midfield, scoring once and providing three assists in a 9-0 win over Luxembourg. .
The arrival of Sofyan Amrabat should give the team less direct contact in midfield if Fernandes is called upon to immediately fill Antony’s position, but this is clearly not a long-term solution to the problem. team extension.