Scott McTominay’s impending return from injury comes at a key time for United with a packed fixture schedule re-starting next week.
McTominay has been back with the first squad training in Marbella and has spoken to the club website about new signing Bruno Fernandes.
The Scot has given a thumbs up to his early impression of Fernandes after seeing him train first hand.
United paid an initial £47 million to sign the midfielder from Sporting, which could rise to £68 million, BBC Sport report.
McTominay said: “In the brief moments that I have seen him in training, he has looked really, really good.
“He has looked like every type of player that the manager wants as well, so hopefully that can come to us on the pitch and he can show us what he can do. I can’t wait to play alongside him.”
One player McTominay has thrived alongside is Brazilian midfielder Fred, also signed for £47 million in 2018.
The pair struck up an impressive partnership complementing each other well.
McTominay said: “He is a pleasure to play alongside and he is a great guy as well. We get on really well and have a good relationship off the pitch. He’s a pleasure to work with and he’s a player who I admire a lot.
“He has come on leaps and bounds in the past few months, and he deserves all of the credit he is getting at the minute. Long may it continue as well.”
Midfield trio, or quartet?
A midfield three of Scott McTominay, Fred and Bruno Fernandes could become a real force and help United start to win games regularly.
McTominay and Fred were excellent before the Scot’s injury, but United never really figured out the attacking midfield position ahead of them. Fernandes solves that problem.
There will be competition though, and that’s a positive. Nemanja Matic has been excellent over the past month.
McTominay may find it harder to walk straight back into United’s team ahead of the Serbian.
That’s why United might want to try and make the trio into a quartet and go with a diamond formation with Matic at the base.
When or if Paul Pogba returns to fitness, he will expect to start. Like McTominay, he will have to earn his way back in too, but it will definitely be easier for United to pick the team if there are four midfield positions as opposed to three.
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