Anthony Martial has been dominated out of Manchester United’s conflict with Brighton and Hove Albion.

The Frenchman had a unbelievable preseason and regarded a useless cert to be the point of interest of Erik ten Hag’s ‘identical gamers, new look’ assault going into the season opener.

A strong problem throughout the pleasant(?) in opposition to Atletico Madrid noticed Martial clutching at his hamstring, which as we speak was revealed to be extreme sufficient to rule him out of rivalry for Sunday’s match.

With precisely zero match strikers to select from, what’s Erik ten Hag’s plan?

Possibility A: Take the elephant out of the room and put him on the pitch

We’ll begin with maybe the obvious, if additionally probably the most uncomfortable, answer.

Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be match. He won’t be good for his teammates. He won’t even need to be at Previous Trafford.

However he’s typically good for a purpose or three.

He solely managed to play the primary half in opposition to Rayo Vallecano earlier than he left the bottom in opposition to his supervisor’s needs, which doesn’t bode nicely for him.

However the membership have insisted that Ronaldo is just not on the market and, maybe extra importantly, the supervisor has insisted that the Portugal captain stays a part of his plans.

That implies that an unfit Ronaldo might be in line for an early recall.

With United having spent the entire of preseason getting good at urgent as a unit and attacking with fluidity (or to place it one other method, enjoying soccer in methods Ronaldo can’t), the sudden introduction of final season’s prime goalscorer can be lower than superb.

Possibility B: False 9 it – Bruno/Tadic fashion

Ten Hag took his Ajax group by a number of iterations, however maybe probably the most profitable featured Dusan Tadic enjoying as a false 9.

The Serbian ahead was not a typical “false 9” sort of participant, hardly ever dribbling, however typically on the lookout for the killer move.

With United nonetheless capable of subject tempo and goal-threat within the type of Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, maybe Bruno Fernandes might tackle the “Tadic function” in a 2019 Ajax revival on Sunday?

He would definitely have the midfield runners in Scott McTominay or Donny van de Beek alongside new signing Christian Eriksen round him to facilitate dropping deep and spraying passes round.

With Ten Hag’s love of flooding opposition penalty areas, on the very least a strikerless United led by him would look loads higher than the one we endured for a spell final season beneath Ralf Rangnick.

Possibility C: Youth, Braveness, Success

With United failing to make any additions to their assault, huge or central, Martial’s harm might have set ajar the door to the primary group for an academy graduate or two.

Statsman Dave likes this feature:

How Man Utd ought to lineup in assault vs. Brighton:

Rashford
Garnacho Bruno Sancho

Sancho as a large playmaker, Bruno at 10, Garnacho as an inverted winger & Rashford as a false 9. pic.twitter.com/mSwlnWGRIf

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) August 4, 2022

Whereas Anthony Elanga took benefit of harm and type troubles final season, possibly Alejandro Garnacho can seize at this opportunity to construct on his spectacular efficiency in opposition to Rayo Vallecano?

The Argentine confirmed starvation in urgent excessive up the pitch to go together with his elegant dribbling means.

He loves to chop inside from huge positions and, whereas he additionally loves a shot, he’s unselfish in slipping in teammates in and across the penalty space.

Garnacho was man of the match within the Youth Cup closing on the finish of final season and his most up-to-date run out at Previous Trafford will definitely have given Ten Hag meals for thought.

Elanga might have extra expertise, however as he confirmed in opposition to Atletico Madrid final Saturday, he lacks somewhat of the refinement wanted to supply actual finish product within the closing third.

Both might begin on the left wing, giving Marcus Rashford an opportunity to roam across the entrance line, trying to get in behind.

Ought to Possibility C be taken, it will maintain Fernandes in midfield, maintain Ronaldo off the pitch and possibly even maintain a little bit of optimism amongst followers, who could have misplaced only a shade of it on listening to of Martial’s harm.
 
 

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