Erik ten Hag decision hints at Man Utd reverting to Rasmus Hojlund plan

Because of Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund may not be among Erik ten Hag’s guaranteed starters at Manchester United.

Given Rasmus Hojlund’s continued inability to score goals in the Premier League, Erik ten Hag may go back to his purported pre-season schedule this month. Although Hojlund has shown signs of promise since joining Manchester United in the summer, he has also added to the team’s lack of offensive punch in the league.

With little experience, it was assumed that the 20-year-old would need time and patience to reach the top of the Old Trafford goal scoring chart.

Ten Hag, though, made him the most expensive striker in United’s history by attempting to sign an Atalanta contract worth £72 million.

And after 11 games, or 764 minutes, in the Premier League, Hojlund is still without a goal or an assist.

Although he has scored five goals in as many Group A games in the Champions League, his frustrations have been evident in domestic competition.

On Wednesday night against Chelsea, Alejandro Garnacho and Antony did a good job on the wings but did not really provide any assistance, and Hojlund was clearly irritated on a few occasions.

In the eighty-fourth minute, he was replaced by Marcus Rashford, a change we may see in the upcoming months.

The Manchester Evening News revealed prior to Hojlund’s debut season in England that a few United officials had called him a “rough diamond,” with one even going so far as to call him a “gamble.”

Ten Hag allegedly devised a scheme in which Hojlund would start as Rashford’s striker while Hojlund would watch certain games from the bench.

Hojlund’s backup right now, Anthony Martial, was reportedly not discussed despite a desire to approve his departure, which never materialized before the deadline.

Since Rashford is having trouble on the right side and Alejandro Garnacho is possibly having one of his best seasons since joining United, the majority of the No. 10’s playing time may be spent centrally.

It would release pressure on Hojlund to perform and allow him to play in a position that helped him score a career-high 30 goals the previous season.

Marcus Rashford was dropped against Chelsea. (Image: Getty)

A minor injury sustained during the November international break forced Hojlund to sit on the bench for the trips to Everton and Newcastle United.

Nonetheless, he has proven to be a starter when healthy this term and would undoubtedly profit from some time off from the spotlight at such a young age.

Ten Hag asserted that rotation had a role in Rashford’s exclusion against Chelsea.

Nevertheless, Garnacho needs to maintain his starting position against AFC Bournemouth on Saturday in order for the Dutchman to execute his strategy and sacrifice Hojlund.