Diogo Dalot’s future at Manchester United appears to be hanging by a thread after his snub last night.
With first and second choice left-backs Luke Shaw and Brandon Williams out with injuries sustained against Crystal Palace, United were forced into a rethink.
Dalot had played at left-back twice before for United in 2018/19, and this appeared to be his opening back into the starting XI.
Then the team news dropped and Dalot was on the bench, with Timothy Fosu-Mensah taking his place.
This was Fosu-Mensah’s first start for United since 2017, and his first for any club since 2019, when he sustained a torn ACL on loan at Fulham.
It did not help Dalot’s cause that Fosu-Mensah had a solid game and United kept a clean sheet.
Dalot’s future is in doubt
The Telegraph reported this week that Dalot was on a list of six players United are open to offers for, to raise money to add to the transfer pot this summer.
Dalot has struggled with fitness since signing under Jose Mourinho in 2018, and has never managed a proper run of games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who bought his own right-back last summer in Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
His absence from the starting line up last night adds credence to the reports he could be sold, and it looks like a departure is going to be necessary for him if he wants to play regular football.
While he made the bench last night as cover, he had not been in any of the Premier League matchday squads since the restart, and in his only FA Cup start he was substituted after an hour.
Fan reaction
Solskjaer does not appear to be a believer in Dalot, having benched him several times last season for Ashley Young.
Last night’s selection of Fosu-Mensah could be the final straw and supporters believe his time is probably up, for better or worse…
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