Against Newcastle over the weekend, Christian Eriksen was absent from a Premier League game for the first time since he joined the Reds this summer and that was noticeable.
Eriksen has almost instantly become one of United’s most important players and without him, United looked lost in possession, with replacement Fred not capable of doing the same things.
When the teamsheets were revealed, manager Erik ten Hag confirmed that Eriksen missed out due to illness. Marcus Rashford, a second-half substitute, had also been struck with illness.
After the disappointing 0-0 draw, Ten Hag was quizzed on Eriksen’s availability going forward and supporters will be keeping a close eye on the situation ahead of Wednesday’s mouthwatering clash with Tottenham Hotspur.
“We miss him when he’s not available,” Ten Hag told Viaplay, via the official Manchester United website.
“But we have a squad and another 11 players on the pitch. So then we have to construct another team and we can bring players from the bench, who are all good.
“I can’t tell [if he will face Spurs]. I know you’re from Denmark, and want to know, and I want to express he’s played fantastic, in this moment, for us. In our team, he really contributes to what we are at this moment.
“I don’t know if he will be available for Wednesday but I hope [so], of course.”
SN’s verdict…
When Eriksen signed for the club in July, the expectation was that he would provide a rotational option for Bruno Fernandes but instead, he has played a slightly deeper role to dictate United’s play.
It was a masterstroke by the manager but already, we can see that United are relying on him too much. Against Newcastle, United were toothless in possession.
The dropped points against Eddie Howe’s team means that United now must beat Tottenham to avoid the risk of falling further behind the top four. Their chances of doing that are better if Eriksen is fit.
