The United manager will hope to welcome back three first-team midfield options over the next few weeks but that will only create a problem further down the pecking order.
Scott McTominay must have been sat on the Tottenham bench last month wondering why Manchester United rejected a £30million bid for him.
"What is clear is that Ten Hag doesn't want to revert back to Scott McTominay," Gary Neville said during that defeat. "With Fernandes on the right, the midfield looks all over the place and the front three doesn't look capable of functioning as one. His inclusion on Saturday came with United arguably at their weakest point in terms of depth. Antony and Jadon Sancho are both absent due to off-field issues, while Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo and Sofyan Amrabat are injured. This is what it takes for the Scotland regular to get a look in, an incredibly rare set of circumstances.
Such were the midfield issues at United that Ten Hag sanctioned a deadline-day loan deal for Sofyan Amrabat. There is a clause to make his move permanent for €25m plus €5m add-ons and anything above a competent debut campaign for the Moroccan will likely see that activated. It leaves McTominay way down in the pecking order for his two most natural positions. He is no longer Casemiro's back up - which is a positive, seeing as he never excelled in that area anyway - and he is arguably fourth of fifth-choice to play the role between the Brazilian and Fernandes.
Order your copy of Manchester United in Europe TODAY Manchester United are back in the Champions League after an impressive first season in charge for Erik ten Hag.
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