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A brutal night for two Manchester United players and one did not even play

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Manchester United’s win over Burnley was a very satisfactory night’s work, with the Red Devils progressing into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

However, it was not all rosy. For two players it was a brutal night, and one did not even play.

Martin Dubravka

This was a woeful performance from Martin Dubravka, who looked inexplicably nervous.

Dubravka is a player who has kept clean sheets for Newcastle against Burnley before, and even made his Premier League debut against Manchester United in a 1-0 win.

So he should not have been overawed by this occasion, however, putting on the Red Devils shirt adds a whole new world of pressure to players.

Dubravka actually began well, with a point blank save, before making an almighty mess of the ensuing corner.

He came for a cross and lost it, and had to rely on Casemiro clearing the effort off the line. After that, it got worse.

Dubravka mis-controlled a pass, continuing to look shaky, and then in stoppage time he almost gave away a foul by colliding with a Burnley player on the edge of the box.

The statistic will show Dubravka kept a clean sheet, and he did. But this was not a good performance. It wasn’t too surprising either, after a poor display in the friendly against Cadiz, where he conceded four goals and missed when trying to claim a cross.

Dubravka is better than this, he has shown it for Newcastle. But manager Erik ten Hag will have serious doubts about playing him in the quarter-final.

READ: United Player Ratings v Burnley

Manchester United v Burnley - Carabao Cup Fourth Round
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images

Donny van de Beek

The future looks bleak for Donny van de Beek. This should have been the game he was certain to start, having had six weeks to prepare.

Erik ten Hag felt it wasn’t worth the risk, bringing in returning World Cup stars Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay.

It wasn’t a surprise either, with Van de Beek failing to take his chance in the winter friendly matches.

But the real salt in the wound came when he was not one of the five substitutes used in the second half.

Erik ten Hag knows what Van de Beek is capable of from his time at Ajax, but clearly he’s not seeing it right now.

Bruno Fernandes’s suspension could provide a lifeline in the next round, but it’s just as likely the Dutchman will have been shipped out the door on loan or permanently, at this rate.