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Manchester United have had a whirlwind season and their star-studded squad has not performed to the full extent of their capabilities. The Red Devils have come under criticism in recent times for not showing enough hunger during games and allowing their opponents to outplay them by being complacent.
Manchester United need to shake things up a little
With plenty of superstars being granted first-team status, it looks like there is a lack of competition within the squad. Healthy rivalries within the team help players elevate their game to another level.
Having offloaded several individuals on loan during the summer as well as the winter transfer windows, the Manchester United squad is a little short on options in a few departments right now. But there are still players in there who deserve more game time than they've been afforded so far.
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Without further ado, let's take a look at five Manchester United players who deserve more game time.
#5 Hannibal Mejbri (Manchester United)
Hannibal Mejbri joined Manchester United at the age of 16. He has since risen through the ranks in the youth setup and made his senior debut under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the 2020-21 season. The Tunisian international was expected to feature sporadically this term. But that's not been the case.
Fortunately for the 19-year-old, new manager Ralf Rangnick admires him and rates him highly. In fact, Rangnick tried to sign him when he was working for RB Leipzig. He has now promoted Mejbri to the first team and the youngster deserves to be afforded more game time for the senior side.
Mejbri impressed for Tunisia in the Arab Cup and picked up the man-of-the-match award in the semi-finals against Egypt. He is a technically proficient attacking midfielder in the mold of Jack Grealish and could be a real asset for the Red Devils in the future.
If Paul Pogba is eventually going to leave the club in the summer, they need to let Mejbri get a few minutes under his belt. He has the ability to become a crucial player for them in the future.
#4 Dean Henderson
It's unfair to ask for David de Gea to be displaced from the first-team for the sheer world-class form he has exhibited this season. The Spaniard has truly gotten back to his best in terms of shot stopping. However, De Gea's extended spell in the first team could see the Premier League giants lose Dean Henderson from their roster.
The Englishman had nailed down a starting berth under Solskjaer last season. Henderson has a lot of qualities that De Gea doesn't. The 24-year-old's distribution is better. He is much superior to De Gea at sweeping behind his defence and is a lot braver when it comes to collecting crosses and commanding his area.
There has been a trend at Manchester United in recent seasons where the second-choice goalkeeper would extensively be used in other tournaments.
However, Deano has played just three games across all competitions this season. He has started a game each in the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup.
Henderson is a very talented goalkeeper and definitely deserves more game time than he has been given this season.
#3 Edinson Cavani
Edinson Cavani became a fan favorite at Manchester United in his first season. The Old Trafford faithful were expecting to see a striker well past his prime, who had touched down in Manchester for a pretty paycheque and a high-profile retirement.
But the Uruguayan international proved everyone wrong with his never-say-die mentality and eminent marksmanship. He became a quintessential part of the starting XI last season and that's why he was expected to play a major role this term as well.
But the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo has forced Cavani to drop down the pecking order. Fitness issues have also played a part but the Uruguayan international has not featured much for the Red Devils this term. Even when he has, his contributions have been rather frugal.
But you can't expect a player to be performing well when he is only afforded game time sporadically. Ronaldo went six straight games without a goal this year but still managed to keep his place in the starting XI.
Cavani has started just six games in the Premier League this term, scoring two goals and providing one assist. He still has plenty of quality and Manchester United ought to use him more.
#2 Victor Lindelof
Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane is the best centre-back duo available to Ralf Rangnick. The problem is that Maguire can be world-class in one game and be downright mediocre in the next. The Englishman has failed to sustain high performance levels and that has been his undoing this season.
Maguire has committed far too many errors at the back this term for him to continue being preferred over Victor Lindelof. The Swedish centre-back is just as good with progressive passing as Maguire is and is less error-prone, although he is not as dominant in the air as the latter.
Lindelof has had to make way for Varane but deserves a steady run of games alongside the Frenchman over the next few months.
#1 Jesse Lingard
Marcus Rashford played through a lot of pain and postponed a surgery to help Manchester United last season. He has not been able to get back to his best since his recovery and has been dropping stinkers on a weekly basis of late.
As things stand, Bruno Fernandes is Manchester United's first-choice in the attacking midfielder's role. There is a lot of burden on the Portuguese international to create. Lingard, who did ever so well in his brief loan spell at West Ham United, has proved that he has the qualities to thrive in the Premier League.
The Englishman ought to be used more. His shooting range is quite incredible and he has pace and an admirable degree of directness about him. Lingard is yet to start a single Premier League match this season. If he is not going to be used, why have Manchester United kept him?
With Donny van de Beek sent on loan, Lingard should be afforded more game time. He can add more dynamism to Manchester United's attack and be a very decisive presence in the final third, especially against tired legs.
