It looked as if Erik ten Hag had deemed Aaron Wan-Bissaka surplus to requirements at Manchester United, but a cameo on Tuesday may have altered his future plans.
The right-back was among the first signings made by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer back in 2019. Wan-Bissaka had enjoyed a breakout year at Crystal Palace and had the young English player premium placed upon him, which eventually saw the Red Devils part with £50m.
He's gone from being a regular to a player who is yet to start a Premier League game. Often this term the 25-year-old has been overlooked by Ten Hag for makeshift right-backs, seemingly underlining his desire to leave out the former Palace man.
United returned to domestic action on Tuesday night with a Carabao Cup win over Championship leaders Burnley. Wan-Bissaka helped the Red Devils keep a clean sheet and laid on Christian Eriksen, who scored the opener. His performance appears timely with the January transfer window just around the corner.
Ten Hag hope
The United boss is very much working his way through assessing the squad he's inherited at Old Trafford. In the summer he bought in several names, one being Tyrell Malacia, a left-back by trade, but someone who has filled in at right-back ahead of Wan-Bissaka.
Such sporadic use had led to speculation of a Manchester exit - sooner rather than later. Having seen him in action on Tuesday though Ten Hag looks to have reaffirmed the right-back's place in his plans going forward, claiming it was fitness issues that had prohibited his use.
He said: "Aaron Wan-Bissaka, it is clear he has a future [here]. He’s had some good years with United, but from the start of this season he had a lot of illnesses and injuries, and so was running behind. His fitness levels are getting better, his performance levels are getting better.
"When you get an assist, especially the way he got that assist with his movement and the right moment, the timing and then great pass of course from Bruno [Fernandes]. But this is great and so I'm happy with his performance. He did good."
Diogo Dalot has managed to establish himself as first choice under the Dutchman, starting in 13 of the 14 league game thus far. The Portuguese star was quick to dislodge Wan-Bissaka following Solskjaer's dismissal.
An Ole favourite
The Norwegian's Manchester exit this time last year was always going to be followed by a reshuffle. Solskjaer's reigns, whilst it did yield a third and second-place finish, was marred by inconsistencies and selection calls that continued to surprise many amid mixed messages.
Jesse Lingard and Donny van de Beek were among those assured publicly of more involvement by Solskjaer, only to be consistently overlooked. In stark contrast, Wan-Bissaka was among those who seemed undroppable, irrespective of his dip in form.
Harry Maguire was another perceived favourite. Wan-Bissaka once lauded for his ability to stop opponents one-on-one, began to be exploited for his lack of ability on the ball. The United dressing room eventually clashed after a defeat at Leicester in October 2021, which saw one player call out the manager for his selection decisions.
Ralf Rangnick, the man who replaced Solskjaer on an interim basis, opted to axe Wan-Bissaka in his first game, instead starting Dalot - a change that has become a permanent fixture on the team sheet.
Style concerns
Wan-Bissaka's initial success under Solskjaer was no doubt down to the fact United adopted a counter-attacking style. The Norwegian was happy to invite teams on, allowing their attacking stars like Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial to thrive on the break.
That tactic began to change at the beginning of the 2021/22 season, with United looking to play more on the front foot. That meant their defenders were more involved in the attack, which didn't play to Wan-Bissaka's strengths.
Paul Scholes said after a derby day defeat, which saw United dominated by their neighbours: "Wan-Bissaka is useless on the ball - brilliant defender but useless on the ball at right-back."
Danny Mills, a former England right-back, echoed that and claimed the system exposed his flaws. “He’s always been a decent defender one-on-one, but he’s never been massively comfortable on the ball,” he told Football Insider. “It puts him in a position where you have to be better on the ball than defending one-on-one. You’ve put him in a position to expose his weakness rather than to exploit his strengths."
Ten Hag is very much seeking to lead a Manchester outfit that will, eventually, become the type of team that dominates possession and imposes their style on other teams. His Ajax side very much looked to set the tempo and needed players who were comfortable on the pitch.
Roy Keane meanwhile has claimed: "Wan-Bissaka, I don’t even think Palace would take him back! He’s not good enough for Manchester United. No feel for the ball, decision making."
Palace possibility
The Eagles are seen as part of a potential rescue mission that could enable Wan-Bissaka to rediscover his best form. Palace under Patrick Vieira have undergone a huge overhaul of players. Nathaniel Clyne and Joel Ward have been utilised at right-back so far this season.
There was interest from the London outfit back in the summer about a potential Wan-Bissaka return. That desire remains and a loan move back to Selhurst Park is now on the cards, according to the Evening Standard. United though want guarantees about the amount of game time the defender would get.
Once upon a time, Wan-Bissaka was considered part of the cluster of right-backs available to the Three Lions. Kyle Walker, Reece James, Kieran Trippier and Trent Alexander-Arnold are now seen as the elite quartet with the United man no longer even part of the conversation.
