Manchester United is not a good place to be right now for the players as a malaise seems to have engulfed the club and all associated with it.
Therefore, in many ways, the international break comes at a good time as it gives the players called up for international duty to have a change in surroundings and those not called up some time to rest and reset.
It is often said that when the team is losing, the best way to overcome it is to play another match immediately but at some point, constantly losing/dropping points takes its toll and a break is the best answer.
Here are the three Man United players who will benefit the most from the international break, either through a change of surroundings or just switching off for about two weeks due to not being selected-
Manuel Ugarte
From being the anointed saviour of Man United’s midfield to sitting on the bench for two consecutive games despite being fit.
Life has come fast for Manuel Ugarte at Man United. It must be mentioned that currently, the system looks as much a problem at Old Trafford as the players, perhaps even more.
That is clear the most in Ugarte’s case, who looks like a player reborn in Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay team. His iffy start at the club hasn’t influenced Bielsa, who has called up Ugarte for games against Peru and Ecuador.
Ugarte will undoubtedly be pleased to get some confidence and form back before his return to United, hopefully, as a revitalised player.
Kobbie Mainoo
If Ugarte is relishing the break because he gets to play in a functional team again, Mainoo will be happy that he just gets some rest.
He has played nonstop since his meteoric breakthrough last season for club and country and looked gassed leading up to the break.
Having initially been called up to the squad again, he withdrew citing injury issues, as he had also missed games for United.
A two-week rest probably can’t account for a season’s worth of overload but it is still a precious period of recovery for a player who was burned out at best, beleaguered at worst.
An England squad without anyone from the Man Utd squad is a rare sight indeed but in this case, the club are better for it.
Bruno Fernandes
Rounding up the trio is another midfield and arguably the player who’ll love the break the most in Bruno Fernandes.
The Portuguese has been a shell of his best self this season at Old Trafford, looking like a man whose mind is operating at 100 mph but the body just isn’t cooperating.
The frustration is palpable and that has resulted in back-to-back red cards leading up to the break, although one was rescinded.
He scored his first goal of the season last time he went away with Portugal and he always enjoys his international excursions, being one of Portugal’s most productive players.
A similar run of form in this break as well should set him up well for the season ahead because he’s a player who desperately needs to feel he’s on song again because so much of his struggles are down to being in a rut mentally. His talent has never been in question.
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