How United players have got on in the recent break
It has been even more of an extended international break than usual. Many of our players have been in action with their countries in that period. Some have done better than others.
Youri Tielemans
Despite not having settled in yet at Old Trafford, Tielemans remains an important figure for the national side. He is one of the last remaining members of the fabled golden generation. He played in all but one of the four games and was suspended for the other. Having played a crucial role in the win against Italy, he set up one of the goals against Turkey.
Senne Lammens
It has been a hugely successful time for the reds keeper. He appears to have recovered from the mistake he made at the World Cup to cement himself as a number one choice. He played three full games out of four conceding just once. That was a late loss at home to France where he had made six big saves.
Leny Yoro
The one game that Lammens missed featured the debut of Leny Yoro. An injury meant that he was called up for the first time. He had been considering an approach from Ivory Coast prior to this. He spent the first three games on the bench before starting against the Belgians in Paris. And the young defender made his mark. The most passes and defensive contributions in the game stood out. He won man of the match as a result. Hopefully he can build on this.
Diogo Dalot
Dalot has found it difficult to get minutes in the national side. That is not surprising given the level of competition at full back. He came off the bench in three of the four games with less than an hour played. He did manage to clock up an assist in the away game to Denmark though.
Bruno Fernandes
Another player who was on form in Copenhagen was the United captain. He chalked up two assists in the match to help them to victory. The national side won all four matches during the break. He sat out one of those in precaution due to a knock he received. The big news concerned the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo from the squad. Those left appear to be thriving in his absence.
Patrick Dorgu
One United player who was absent from that game was Patrick Dorgu. He played in Denmark’s loss away to Norway in the opening game. He picked up a hamstring injury in their home win over Wales. The versatile player pulled up after half an hour and immediately signaled to come off. He is likely to be out for a period of time now.
Noussair Mazraoui
Another full back put on the sidelines was Mazraoui. He had featured in both of Morocco’s African Cup of Nations qualifying games. The first had seen him score a well taken goal against Gabon. The second saw him take a heavy knock against Lesotho. It is uncertain how long he is due to be out for.
Bryan Mbuemo
Mbeumo was also in action for his country in AFCON qualifying. After missing out on the World Cup, the west Africans are determined to bounce back strongly. The United forward put them on the way to three points with a goal against Comoros. He also featured in their draw with Congo and friendly win over Ivory Coast.
Lisandro Martinez
The World Cup finalists were not in competitive action, but were involved in some friendlies. Our centre-half started in all three games against Bolivia, Burkina Faso, and Benin. The latter marked the final appearance in an Argentinian shirt for Lionel Messi. The legendary forward signed off with a goal and two assists in the win.
Andrey Santos
Brazil were also in friendly action during the break. Having not been selected for the World Cup squad, Santos was called up for these games. He started the first of two games against Australia on the bench before coming on in the second. He impressed in their convincing win against India albeit against limited opposition.
Joshua Zirkzee
The forward was back in the Holland squad for the first time in almost two years. The Dutch have seen a number of players depart the scene following their World Cup disappointment. Having been on the bench for the away game to Serbia, he managed to score in the return game. It was a simple tap in from a few yards out. He also came on as a sub in the draw with Greece.
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