Ten Hag says one rotational player has to prove himself in the cameos he gets to cement starting role

Stretty News

·27 April 2024

Ten Hag says one rotational player has to prove himself in the cameos he gets to cement starting role

Manchester United fans have frequently been left perplexed by Amad Diallo’s lack of game time this season.

The 21-year-old has certainly been made to wait for his chances to prove himself as a first-teamer despite entering the 2023/2024 campaign on the back of a scintillating loan spell with Sunderland.

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Across Amad’s time on Wearside, he played an integral role under Tony Mowbray as the Black Cats defied all odds and finished the term in the play-off spots. He notched an impressive 14 goals and four assists in all competitions before returning to Manchester for United’s pre-season tour.

He then, unfortunately, sustained a long-term knee injury, which kept him sidelined for the first half of the current season. Amad became available for action again in December 2023 and marked his comeback with an off-the-bench cameo against Nottingham Forest on December 30th.

Since then, the Ivorian has featured just three more times in the Premier League, totalling 89 minutes on the pitch. He has been granted added game time in the FA Cup, in which he played a vital role in United’s progression to the semi-final by making three appearances in the competition and scoring an emphatic extra-time winner to knock out Liverpool.

Ten Hag addresses Amad’s reduced role

Erik ten Hag was pressed on the winger’s continued absence from the starting 11 in his pre-Burnley press conference.

The manager explained, via MUTV: “First of all, Amad had a very bad injury, so for a long period in this season he was out and wasn’t available. But he returned and needed some time to get back, to get match fit. He needed training and, in some areas, he needed to catch up. So it’s fair now that he gets his minutes.

“He has to keep fighting, set his performances in the minutes he gets – not gets, but deserves, and from there, you get your position in the starting line-up. Amad is doing really well, but we have a lot of competition in the front line and I know, with front players especially, you have to give them trust.”

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Ten Hag says one rotational player has to prove himself in the cameos he gets to cement starting role | OneFootball