Manchester United travel to face Turkish side Fenerbahçe this evening in their third outing of this season’s Europa League.
Erik ten Hag’s side are still hunting for their first win in the competition, after drawing their opening two meetings against FC Twente and Porto.
However, the Red Devils will face a tough task in securing three points tonight, coming up against former boss José Mourinho, who will undoubtedly be looking to inflict yet more pain on his former employers.
His side come into the fixture after a win and a draw in their opening two outings, with both teams putting their unbeaten streaks on the line in Istanbul.
The European clash would’ve been tricky enough for the United boss, but he also has various issues to contend with throughout his squad, potentially leaving his side light in key areas.
Ten Hag’s midfield dilemma against Fenerbahçe
As well as Mourinho, United will be coming up against a couple of familiar faces in former first-team members Fred and Sofyan Amrabat – with the duo undoubtedly wanting to claim the bragging rights.
Ten Hag will have to pick a midfield to cope with their respective threats but faces a dilemma with limited options available at his disposal.
Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount have both been left out of the travelling squad amid their respective injury woes, whilst Bruno Fernandes will have to sit out the clash after his dismissal against Porto last time out.
Casemiro was substituted in the weekend’s victory over Brentford at Old Trafford with a suspected injury, but the Brazilian has travelled with the Red Devils – an indication that his withdrawal on Saturday was just a precaution.
The 32-year-old remains just one of a handful of midfielders who are able to feature in Turkey this evening, with the former Real Madrid hopefully looking to build on his influential display against Thomas Frank’s side.
As a result of the various absentees, he could be joined by a new partner at the base of the side, potentially providing that added bite in what will be a feisty affair.
The man who could replace Fernandes tonight
There’s no denying that Ten Hag’s side will miss the qualities of Portuguese international Fernandes tonight, but there’s more than enough quality in the Red Devils’ midfield department to cover for the 30-year-old.
However, it could lead to a slight reshuffle, with Christian Eriksen likely to push slightly further forward and operate in the number 10 role, opening up an opportunity for summer signing Manuel Ugarte to start from the off.
The Uruguayan, who cost the club a total of £50m including add-ons, has only started three times since his big-money transfer from Paris Saint-Germain, but tonight could hand them the perfect chance to kick start his United career.
Ugarte, who’s previously been dubbed a “machine” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has a lot of qualities, with his ability out of possession allowing Ten Hag’s side to dominate the midfield against Mourinho’s men.
In his only previous Europa League outing for his new side, the 23-year-old started and completed the whole 90 minutes against FC Twente, producing some phenomenal numbers.
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The midfielder made four tackles, whilst winning six duels and making two interceptions – providing a real solid base at the heart of Ten Hag’s midfield – something which his side will desperately need without Fernandes involved.
Minutes played
90
Touches
91
Pass accuracy
59/73 (81%)
Passes into final third
10
Tackles made
4
Blocks
1
Interceptions completed
2
Duels won
6
Recoveries made
5
With all eyes set to be on the midfield amid the presence of those familiar faces in Amrabat and Fred, it could well be crucial to utilise the ball-winning presence of Ugarte to help dominate that experienced pairing.
In Ligue 1 last season, the one-time Sporting CP star averaged a mammoth 5.5 tackles & interceptions per game, far ahead of what Fred (2.9) and Amrabat (1.7) achieved in the Super Lig and Premier League, respectively, for that same metric in 2023/24. As such, United’s new man could well be the difference-maker to help get a stranglehold on the game in the centre of the park.
The meeting tonight is huge for United as they look to secure their first European win of the 2024/25 season and push for a place in the knockout stages of the competition.
Whilst injuries and suspensions have plagued the first-team squad, Ten Hag now has the perfect opportunity to unleash Ugarte, giving the youngster the platform to demonstrate why they paid such a sizeable fee for his services this summer.
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