Anthony Elanga’s international heroics has ended up counting for nothing at Manchester United

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Anthony Elanga scored during the international break and has returned to Manchester United as an afterthought.

It took only a five minute cameo for Sweden for Anthony Elanga to make an impact during the international break.

Wearing the number 11 shirt usually reserved for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Elanga raced away on a counter attack to split the defence and round the goalkeeper before scoring.

It was Elanga’s first goal at any level in 10 months, a major breakthrough amid a tough season for him; at the very least, a sizeable confidence boost.

Elanga returns to another setback

Anthony Elanga will have hoped that his international impact would ignite his season, give him a bit of momentum to take back to Manchester United.

Instead, he has returned to Manchester United and failed to make the substitutes bench in both matches against Newcastle and Brentford.

The reason for this has been Anthony Martial‘s return to the matchday squad after he returned to fitness.

And knowing Martial’s injury track record, Elanga could be needed for that bench spot any time now.

As it stands, Elanga is not among Erik ten Hag’s plans. Facundo Pellistri is preferred, he has been on the bench for the last two matches, and started a game more recently than Elanga.

This time last season Elanga was a regular starter for Manchester United. He has not started a game since the Carabao Cup quarter-final at the start of January.

His goal for Sweden demonstrated that he has got something, whether it is enough for Manchester United, he will likely have to prove elsehwere.

Elanga needs to head out on loan in the summer to play regular football. A permanent switch is also not out of the question.