Manuel Ugarte, a midfielder for Manchester United, started his first game for the team in the Carabao Cup against Barnsley. Mark Goldbridge has recommended that he play against Crystal Palace.
In the Premier League on Saturday, the Uruguayan international was handed his first chance to shine off the bench against Southampton, and he helped the Red Devils win the match in the second half. Ugarte started Tuesday night’s match against Barnsley from the outset as Erik ten Hag attempts to gradually acclimate him to the team.
When United visits Crystal Palace in the capital on Saturday, they will be back in Premier League action. It will be intriguing to see if ten Hag starts Ugarte in the starting lineup.
Ten Hag Urged to Start Ugarte Against Palace
He was substituted in the second half
Ugarte was taken off just after the hour mark as ten Hag looked to freshen things up in midfield. Ten Hag now has a decision to make on whether to start Ugarte in the Premier League this weekend, but Goldbridge believes that he will be lining up in the middle of the park…
“Safe to say Ugarte starts against Palace if he’s coming off on 60 with Rashford and Dalot. Fully deserved.”
Ugarte, described as ‘unreal’ by Owen Hargreaves, will offer United a lot more protection in midfield than we’ve seen in the early stages of the season. The Uruguay international is a touch-tackling ball-winner and could be what United need to nullify the threat of Eberechi Eze.
| Manuel Ugarte v Barnsley | |
|---|---|
| Pass competition | 86% |
| Defensive actions | 10 |
| Recoveries | 3 |
| Duels won | 4 |
| Match rating | 6.8 |
Ten Hag opted for a midfield three of Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, and Christian Eriksen in United’s victory over Southampton last time out in the Premier League. The natural option to drop out if Ugarte was to come in would likely be Eriksen given how Fernandes and Mainoo have performed in recent months.
Palace have struggled in the first few weeks of the Premier League campaign, so it could be an ideal opportunity for United to continue their momentum and string a strong run of results together.
Bruno Fernandes Decision Questioned
He came on late against Barnsley
Late in the victory against Barnsley, ten Hag opted to bring on Bruno Fernandes despite his side being 5-0 up at the time. The Red Devils certainly didn’t need extra attacking influence with the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford running riot.
ESPN reporter Rob Dawson questioned the decision, suggesting that it was an ‘interesting’ substitution. The journalist didn’t elaborate on his point, but there’s an argument to suggest that he’s hinting it was unnecessary for Fernandes to be introduced. The Portuguese international could have done with a much-needed rest after playing a lot of football in recent years.
