Nemanja Matic has long been viewed as Manchester United’s midfield shield, the one player who can be relied upon to protect the back four.
Last season this was very much the case, with United recording a far superior rate of keeping clean sheets with Matic in the side, in comparison to without him.
That is part of what made the 6-1 hammering at home to Tottenham so shocking, that Matic started the game.
Matic was one of two players substituted at half-time, with United already 4-1 down.
An unlikely scapegoat
There were some terrible performances that day as United were outplayed at Old Trafford.
Matic is the player who started this defeat who has played the least football since.
Luke Shaw has somehow started every game, and Harry Maguire has started two out of three.
Paul Pogba has been benched for United’s last three matches, like Matic, but the difference is that the Frenchman has come off the bench in each of the last three games.
Matic came on as a 91st minute substitute against Newcastle, and has not featured in the subsequent matches.
United didn’t need him against PSG or Chelsea, with only an own goal from a set piece breaching the defence in these two games.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has gone with Fred and Scott McTominay instead. They now may be in need of a rest.
Matic at least will feel he deserves a chance to come in and prove himself and wash away the memory of a bad 45 minutes against Tottenham.
This may not be easy at home to a dangerous RB Leipzig side, yet that’s also why it’s an ideal game for Matic to redeem himself.
Cause a dilemma
With Matic in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s bad books, along with, to an extent Paul Pogba, the manager will probably return to using Scott McTominay and Fred away at Arsenal at the weekend.
Matic, and Pogba, can give the manager a really tough decision to make if they come in and perform well against RB Leipzig.
This was a duo which was United’s first choice duo at the end of last season in the Premier League.
Matic’s start to the season should not be defined by a terrible 45 minutes against Spurs, when others were equally poor if not worse.
Fred and McTominay have done well in their chances since, but it’s time for Solskjaer to utilise his squad again and give the Serbian his first start in around three weeks.
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