The international break is finally in the rearview mirror and Manchester United will resume club action with a trip to Southampton in the Premier League.
With two competitions set to begin in September- Carabao Cup and Europa League, Erik ten Hag can use every positive boost he can get.
In that sense, the international break not only provided a chance for the manager to reset after a torrid start, but also got some players back in form.
The effects of the break have been mostly positive for Manchester United, with many players who were struggling at the club getting some confidence back by playing well for their national teams.
However, the manager has a renewed headache coming out of the break with one big loser arguably overshadowing the five winners. First off, here are the five winners-
1- Bruno Fernandes
Who else? Bruno Fernandes has been a symbol of consistency and end product for the Portugal National team for a long time now.
This international break was no different. Fernandes scored his first goal of the season and had his fingerprints all over both wins in the break.
His club and country teammate Diogo Dalot also impressed scoring against Croatia from a Fernandes assist but canceled out with an own goal later.
Fernandes, though, was faultless and United will be in a good place if he carries that form to the club.
2- Joshua Zirkzee
International breaks don’t get much better than creating history on your first start for the country, as Joshua Zirkzee did.
He became only the fourth player in Netherlands history to score and assist on his debut start, firmly establishing himself as first-choice for the nation.
It was a break he really needed after he had cooled off at United despite scoring on debut so Erik ten Hag will hope he can bring that goalscoring form back to the club.
With Rasmus Hojlund’s return on the horizon, the striking department is set for a massive upgrade.
3- Noussair Mazraoui
Noussair Mazraoui slightly flew under the radar because the press coverage for games in the African continent is not as heavy as European.
The Moroccan was the pick of the players in their 4-1 win vs Gabon, picking up where he left off for United just before the break.
That sterling performance was followed by the perfect scenario from United’s POV, as he was rested for the away game at Lesotho, making it certain that he returns to United in good form and well-rested.
A win-win situation for both, the club and the player.
4- Alejandro Garnacho
Alejandro Garnacho already looked like he was stepping up another level in his game with a blistering start for United and he carried that for the national team.
Argentina are prepping the next generation of their national team after winning the Copa America in the summer and Garnacho figures to be the poster boy for it.
He laid on an assist for Paulo Dybala in their statement 3-0 win over Chile and was then rested against Colombia in the 2-1 loss, where Lisandro Martinez struggled a bit.
In a Mazraoui-like scenario, it was perfect as he comes back to Old Trafford well-rested and carrying positive momentum.
5- Amad
Returning to the national team after a three-year absence, Amad had a point to prove and that’s exactly what he did.
Amad played 70 minutes against Zambia in the first game and was a creative force of nature, fashioning four chances for his teammates.
He came off the bench and played 29 encouraging minutes in Ivory Coast’s second game as well so not only did he perform well, his minutes were managed expertly too.
The decision to drop him against Liverpool backfired and Ten Hag has a tough call to make vs Southampton.
Alejandro Garnacho is an undisputed starter now and Amad is making it difficult to overlook him in favour of Marcus Rashford on current form.
Honorable mentions
Besides the names above, the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Harry Maguire, and Andre Onana also fared well on international duty.
Mainoo and Maguire played only one game but impressed in it, with Mainoo, in particular, widely praised for his display vs Ireland.
Onana kept clean sheets and Maguire’s return to the national team went without any hitches. Christian Eriksen impressed in one game and was terrible in the other, while James Scanlon created history for the national team.
Ugarte got some minutes in his legs and performed well too, probably making Ten Hag’s job easier in terms of getting him up to match speed. However, this was all overshadowed by the biggest loser of the break…
Loser- Matthijs de Ligt
The break was a great shot at redemption for Matthijs de Ligt as well as he was set to play for the national team after staying on the bench for the entirety of Euros.
Play he did, but how, the less said the better. He kicked off his international break with a mistake against Bosnia and Herzegovina, for which manager Ronald Koeman called him out.
He kept his place vs Germany but another mistake arrived in that game and Koeman finally lost patience, subbing him off at half-time.
The Dutch media delivered a brutal verdict on De Ligt and pundits went as far as to declare his international career ‘over’.
De Ligt is one of the few players who will come back to Old Trafford with confidence in the doldrums.
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