Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag must have prayed for days like this.
Days when his frontline does not simply pick itself due to a dearth of other options. Days where he has genuine competition for places for what feels like the first time in eternity.
Manchester United travel to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday with Alejandro Garnacho, Amad Diallo, Marcus Rashford, Antony, Joshua Zirkzee and Jadon Sancho all hoping to be involved in some capacity.
Ten Hag could also opt to go with Bruno Fernandes or Mason Mount in a ‘false nine’ role again, like he did during the 1-0 opening day victory over Fulham last time out.
Sancho missed out against The Cottagers due to an ear infection.
Despite ongoing speculation over his future at Old Trafford, the £73 million England international should be back in contention for the trip to a Brighton side who have triumphed in four of their last six meetings with the Red Devils.
Jadon Sancho may be back in Manchester United squad
“We will see,” Ten Hag said when asked if Sancho will be in the roster for Brighton. “We have a squad .I hope we will have a squad with double positioning (two players for every role).
“And when we go into the season after September 1, that means you can’t select all the players but you need them all throughout the season. We have to manage it.
“The attitude of the players is very important. Sometimes they will be disappointed (at being left out) . They have to deal with it.
“You win as a squad. The prizes are decided next May and until then we need all the players in the squad and highly motivated. That is not an expectation. That is a demand on the squad.”
Sancho performed his ‘false nine’ duties impressively during pre-season.
But with Fernandes and Mount now offering themselves as alternatives and with £35 million summer signing Zirkzee pushing for a first start after his immediate impact against Fulham, opportunities through the middle are likely to be limited going forward.
Especially once Rasmus Hojlund returns from a hamstring injury.
Erik ten Hag delighted by Joshua Zirkzee start
“Very pleasing that a player who is a striker scores his first goal in is first game,” Ten Hag says of Zirkzee, converting an Alejandro Garnacho cross with 87 minutes on the clock when Marco Silva’s side came to town.
“That will give him confidence. Very pleased that it’s happened.”
Zirkzee’s flying start is in stark contrast to Hojlund’s troubled beginnings at Man United.
The Dane needed 16 games to score his first Premier League goal. The floodgates eventually opened on Boxing Day against Aston Villa.
And Ten Hag cannot help but wonder how differently things would have gone if Hojlund was not denied by VAR in that 3-1 defeat to Saturday’s opponents three months earlier in the campaign.
“The comparison with last year and Rasmus Hojlund,” Ten Hag adds. “When he scored against Brighton and the VAR looked and five minutes later came to the conclusion the ball crossed the line in the assist, and he had to wait thee months for first Premier League goal.
“(Zirkzee scoring so early) gives him confidence and gives us confidence as a team.”
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, during his own press conference, was keen to remind his side about the dangers United possess in transition while highlighting Zirkzee as one of many Red Devils dangermen.
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