Daniel James will line up against Manchester United on Sunday for the first time since leaving to join Leeds United in the summer.
James was a casualty of the decision to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo, with the Portuguese superstar shunting him down the pecking order.
The Wales international crossed the divide between the two bitter rivals and will now experience the fixture from the opposite side.
James started all three of the meetings between the two clubs during his time as a United player, and scored in the 6-2 thumping of Marcelo Bielsa’s side at Old Trafford in December 2020.
That said, he often struggled for confidence at Old Trafford and took a little while to warm up following his move to Elland Road.
But James is now in the best form of his Leeds career so far, with three goals in five games ahead of his first reunion with United since leaving.
Leeds are missing Patrick Bamford and that has seen James play through the middle as a striker in their last four matches.
If he plays there again on Sunday, that would put him directly up against struggling United captain Harry Maguire and James has the pace to really trouble the England international.
He could also drift towards the right, likely putting him up against Luke Shaw at times, who is not in the best of form himself but described James as ‘unbelievable’ back in March.
James will also have a point to prove against the club who sold him, roared on by Leeds fans who have waited a long time to see their side host United in the Premier League in the flesh again.
Ralf Rangnick recently admitted that Maguire is struggling to adapt to a more proactive style of defending and the game against Leeds could also see United leave space in behind.
United have overrun Leeds twice at Old Trafford, but that relies on taking them on at their own game, and that could leave Maguire exposed against James at times.
When James left United, his chances of gametime looked bleak, but had he remained at the club, he would ironically have a fairly decent shot at the first team.
Anthony Martial, Amad and Donny van de Beek have been loaned out and Mason Greenwood is not available either.
Jesse Lingard has played in recent weeks but is seemingly running his deal down and Juan Mata was a last resort when Jadon Sancho really couldn’t carry on in the FA Cup against Middlesbrough earlier this month.
James probably wouldn’t be starting – and Anthony Elanga has now emerged – but he might have had a role as an imapct sub now had things panned out differently.
As it is, he will be keen to show United what they are missing by compounding Maguire’s misery in front of a boisterous Elland Road and Rangnick will need to plan accordingly.
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