Manchester United currently faces a shortage of four senior full-backs, which means they’ll need to come up with unconventional solutions for their upcoming match against Brentford. While Sofyan Amrabat has shown dedication since joining the club, his performance level has fallen short, largely due to being consistently played out of position.
Amrabat was initially signed to reinforce the defensive midfield position but has been deployed as a left-back due to an ongoing defensive crisis, with three other senior options sidelined. The club is awaiting an update on Sergio Reguilon’s fitness for the Brentford clash, but even if he’s available, they might hesitate to rush him back, considering the potential risks.
Had Luke Shaw or Tyrell Malacia been available, they might have taken the risk, but both are yet to return to team training, making it an unnecessary gamble, especially with tougher challenges ahead. Therefore, the team should prepare for the Brentford game assuming they won’t have a natural left-back, as Amrabat’s limitations in this role have become evident.
While Amrabat has shown promise with his ball skills, his deficiencies in defensive positioning and capabilities have made him a target for opposition attacks. It’s in his best interest to be relieved of left-back duties. He could still contribute in his preferred midfield role and might even feature there against Brentford, but asking him to play at full-back again, given the ongoing injury concerns, isn’t advisable.
Instead, a more sensible approach could involve moving Diogo Dalot back to his makeshift left-back role and repositioning another player at right-back. Victor Lindelof could be one option to fill the full-back role, but this would require someone else to take his place in central defense.
Leading candidates for this central defense role could be Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans, while Casemiro and Scott McTominay also have prior experience playing at center-back. While it may not be the ideal or most conventional solution, considering the clear shortcomings of the Amrabat experiment, it’s worth at least considering for the upcoming weekend.