Alejandro Garnacho faces a spell on the sidelines after sustaining an injury in Manchester United’s defeat to Southampton.
Manchester United’s official update says Garnacho will miss ‘a number of weeks’ with no projected return date set.
The teenager is sad to miss out on an international call-up with Argentina, but his absence will be felt harder by Manchester United.
We have taken a look at four options Manchester United have to replace Garnacho over the weeks ahead…
Facundo Pellistri
Uruguay international Facundo Pellistri should see an increase in his minutes with Alejandro Garnacho sidelined.
While Pellistri plays on the right and Garnacho on the left, usually it has been the Argentine who is called upon by Erik ten Hag to change games.
Pellistri got the nod against Real Betis last week and seized his opportunity. More chances will await him over the forthcoming weeks as he looks to prove he belongs in the first team.
The young winger says he is up for the fight, with a message on Instagram vowing his Manchester United journey is ‘far from over’.
Anthony Elanga
Anthony Elanga might be the big winner from Alejandro Garnacho’s misfortune. It is his gametime which has been reduced by the Argentine’s breakthrough.
He played 288 Premier League minutes before Garnacho’s was re-introduced into the Premier League set up in November, and only 133 minutes since.
Elanga is a back-up whose only real pathway to first team football was a teammate getting injured.
Now United’s decision to keep him in January might pay off. He must step up to get his career back on track, it is now 13 months since he scored a goal for the club.
Jadon Sancho
One of the reasons Jadon Sancho has been deployed more centrally lately has been because Alejandro Garnacho has burst through as an exciting option on the wing.
Now with Garnacho unavailable, Sancho is likely to feature more regularly out on the wings. Manchester United need him to make an impact.
Erik ten Hag said he was pleased with his performance against Southampton, however, supporters were less than enthused.
The next two games in particular are great opportunities for Sancho. The former Dortmund star has scored five goals this season, and a late push could take him to double figures.
Noam Emeran
Let’s throw in a wildcard option. The young winger next in line at under-21 level would be French youngster Noam Emeran.
Emeran featured in the mid-season friendly matches in Spain, with Erik ten Hag taking a look at him.
The 20-year-old has had a typically inconsistent season for the under-21s, scoring only once, but also trained with the first team ahead of the recent Barcelona game.
This is a long shot, but any more injuries and Erik ten Hag may have to consider at least sticking Emeran on the bench.
