Manchester United: 3 players who should play more

BERGAMO, ITALY - NOVEMBER 02: Donny van de Beek of Manchester United warming up during the UEFA Champions League group F match between Atalanta and Manchester United at Stadio di Bergamo on November 2, 2021 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
BERGAMO, ITALY - NOVEMBER 02: Donny van de Beek of Manchester United warming up during the UEFA Champions League group F match between Atalanta and Manchester United at Stadio di Bergamo on November 2, 2021 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
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Jesse Lingard

Manchester United
Jesse Lingard, Manchester United. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Jesse Lingard is a player who had a lot of expectations around him at the start of the season and for good reason. The England international had been nothing short of incredible during his loan spell at West Ham United.

After struggling to break into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-team plans in the first half of the 2020/21 season, he went out on loan to West Ham United in the second half of the campaign. And he played some of his best football there.

According to stats from Transfermarkt, Lingard scored 9 goals and provided 5 assists in 16 appearances for the Hammers and was one of the best players in the Premier League during that period of time.

But first-team opportunities have been hard to come by once again for Lingard, ever since returning to Old Trafford in the summer. He has impressed when he has been on the pitch though and definitely deserves to play more than he has till now.

Diogo Dalot

Diogo Dalot is another Manchester United player who impressed on loan last season. He spent the 2020/21 campaign with AC Milan and certainly made his mark on their first-team picture.

But like many others, he has found first-team opportunities rarely at Old Trafford this season. Aaron Wan-Bissaka is firmly ahead of him in the pecking order at right-back while Luke Shaw is the clear first-choice left-back at the club right now. And although questions have been raised about the forms of both of them, Dalot has not been able to break into the playing XI much.

As a result, he is being linked with a move away from Old Trafford in the near future. But considering how impressive he had looked in pre-season and when he has been on the pitch, Solskjaer needs to give him more chances before deciding on his future.