Manchester United’s Fixture Congestion: Resting Key Players and Giving Opportunities to Young Talents
Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, may have the courage to give a player their first appearance for the team in a Europa League match versus Real Betis.
Manchester United made significant progress towards the quarter-finals of the Europa League in their last match, which came in the midst of two unsatisfactory results in the Premier League. Just a few days following their loss against Liverpool at Anfield, United responded exceptionally well and channeled their frustration into a magnificent 4-1 triumph over Real Betis in the first leg of their last-16 tie at Old Trafford. Although Ayoze Perez, on loan from Leicester City, cancelled out Marcus Rashford’s first-half goal, United regained their composure in the second half and dominated the La Liga side. Goals from Antony, Bruno Fernandes, and Wout Weghorst, who scored his first goal at Old Trafford, secured a comfortable victory. Consequently, they go to Spain for the second leg with one foot already in the quarter-finals.
While it’s always risky to make assumptions in football, especially in European competitions, Manchester United can feel confident about finishing the job and keeping their dreams of securing an impressive cup treble this season alive. Having already won the Carabao Cup and with a quarter-final match against Fulham looming in the FA Cup on Sunday, the team will be hoping to maintain their impressive run in the Europa League.
Although United manager Erik ten Hag has taken every cup match seriously this season, fielding a strong starting XI, he may be able to deviate from this strategy in Seville. With a comfortable three-goal advantage in the tie, and still having the chance to play in all possible fixtures this season, ten Hag could afford to take some risks in the match against Real Betis.
Since the resumption of the campaign after the World Cup, Manchester United has had a gruelling fixture schedule, playing 23 matches in less than three months. This intense schedule has pushed Ten Hag’s squad to their limits both physically and mentally. As a result, the upcoming international break will be a much-needed break for those players who are not called up by their respective nations.
However, with the match against Fulham on Sunday providing the opportunity to book a second semi-final appearance and a second trip to Wembley this season, Ten Hag may be better off resting some of his more experienced players for that match and giving opportunities to those who have not featured as much this season against Real Betis. While it’s unlikely that he will make wholesale changes, making five or six changes could help prevent the risk of a complete collapse and a turnaround in the tie.
If he does decide to make changes, one player who deserves an opportunity to showcase his abilities is Facundo Pellistri. The Uruguayan winger arrived at Old Trafford more than two years ago from Penarol and has yet to make a full debut for the club. Despite making just six substitute appearances, two of which came in the past week, Pellistri has shown tremendous patience and dedication.
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