It remains a difficult period in the career of Manchester United’s marquee summer signing Fred.
The Brazilian midfielder joined United in this summer’s transfer window for a hefty £52million, but he has yet to make any impact at Old Trafford, managing just 15 competitive appearances so far.
He was left out of the squad for United’s trip to Fulham two weeks ago, was an unused substitute against Chelsea in the FA Cup, and then again against Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday.
It was perhaps that omission from the pitch against Liverpool that will cause the former Shakhtar man the most concern.
After an astonishing first half in which Ander Herrera, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard were all forced off due to injury, Fred remained on the bench for the whole game, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opting for to pick an unfit Lingard to replace Herrera in the first half instead.
Solskjaer’s decision to bring on Lingard not only proved detrimental to both player and team – with Lingard coming off injured 10 minutes after the change – but it also perhaps highlighted the standing of Fred in the eyes of the Norwegian.
It’s a far cry from the debut season many expected for the South American. At Shakhtar, he was instrumental in the heart of their midfield; sneers aimed towards the Ukrainian side would be largely unwarranted, with Douglas Costa, Bernard, Fernandinho, Willian and Alex Texeira all developing through the club in recent seasons.
At Shkaktar, Fred predominantly featured in a double pivot in a 4-2-3-1, keeping the ball moving and acting as an anchor for his side. His speed and power meant he was strong in the press and able snuff out any danger superbly.
He averaged 0.21 tackles per 90 minutes and 3.9 interceptions per 90 minutes last season. While decent numbers, compared to United’s other central midfielders, neither average total stands out. However, together, they do point to a well-rounded midfielder in those defensive areas.
As at the moment, Pogba has been reinvented and is now the first name on the Manchester United team sheet.
But based on last season’s displays, Fred could still work very well with Pogba, even in the current 4-3-3 system. Acting as a deep-lying playmaker, Fred could impose himself on the side, assisting in attacks, but yet offering defensive stability in order to allow Pogba the freedom he needs.
A supporting cast of Matic and Herrera have both prevailed in the midfield of that 4-3-3 excellently this season, specifically since the arrival of Solskjaer. This has made it extremely difficult for Fred to be granted a chance to prove his worth – or indeed cement a consistent run in the team.
However, both have been ruled out for up to a month due to injury. In fact, United could be without 10 first-team players for their Premier League fixture at Crystal Palace on Wednesday. Therefore, Wednesday presents Fred with his first of several opportunities in the coming weeks to prove his worth.
His ability to both defend, command a midfield, create chances and get forward in attacks make him a real talent.
United’s up and coming injury crisis could just be the making of their £52m man.