Nemanja Matic faces battle to usurp Fred at Manchester United

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For a while last season, Nemanja Matic looked back to his best, while Fred watched on from the bench.

As the campaign finally drew to a close, there was no question regarding United’s first-choice. But things change quickly in football.

While £47million Fred is excelling at Old Trafford, Matic faces a huge battle to get back into United’s strongest XI.

The Brazilian has been brilliant in recent weeks and he reached a whole new level against Everton.

While Bruno Fernandes and Edinson Cavani took the headlines on Saturday, their unsung hero of a teammate was the glue that held United together.

And that does not bode well for Matic.

The Serbian international has barely featured in the league this season.

A 90-minute outing against Brighton seems a long time ago. Since then he has managed only three substitute appearances and that is unlikely to change.

When Fred is out of the starting XI – as he was last week in the Champions League – United often falter. Matic is a long way off his best and it will be interesting to see if he can rediscover it in the coming months.

Past, present, future

Matic has done a solid job for United since his £40million move in 2017 (BBC). At times he has shown signs of his very best football. But these days Fred is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s go-to man.

While Fred does his own job well, his presence also ensures those around him can impress. His presence means Bruno Fernandes can blossom further forward while Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have more security in front of them.

It could be argued that Matic no longer has the legs needed for regular Premier League football.

United’s Brazilian star certainly does. His engine is impressive and he has now fully justified his price-tag.

Matic may have a contract until 2023 but only time will tell how often he plays.

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