Donny van de Beek was handed a rare chance to shine when Manchester United faced Young Boys last night.
He played alongside Fred as one of the deepest pair of midfielders, and while United were in control of the game, he was impressive.
The Dutchman kept the ball well and was sharp across the ground, but then Aaron Wan-Bissaka was sent off and the game changed.
Van de Beek was harshly substituted at half-time, replaced by Raphael Varane as United switched to a 5-3-1 system.
His opportunity to impress was ended early, through no fault of his own, while he was playing well.
Van de Beek made as many interceptions in 45 minutes as Fred did in twice that amount of time.
As United recover from the disappointment of losing the match to a stoppage time goal, van de Beek posted a message on Instagram.
He was characteristically upbeat, calling on his teammates to put things right in the games ahead.
United now face West Ham in back-to-back matches.
The first meeting is away from home in the Premier League before an Old Trafford clash in the EFL Cup.
Van de Beek’s performance in the first half last night means he should have a good chance of starting at the London Stadium.
It wouldn’t be fair if that’s the main chance he gets to prove himself because it was ruined by circumstances beyond his control.
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