CHRISTIAN Eriksen’s injury has left Erik ten Hag needing to rethink his Manchester United plans for the remainder of the season.
The Dane has been a pivotal part of the Red Devils’ revolution under their new boss.
But he is now set to miss three months after being caught by an Andy Carroll tackle in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Eriksen has been a regular for most of the season and has formed an impressive partnership with Casemiro.
But his spell on the sidelines will leave Ten Hag plotting how to rebalance his in-form side.
The most likely solution will be Fred attempting to fill Eriksen’s shoes with Scott McTominay also out injured at the moment.
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The Brazilian has been at Old Trafford since 2018 but has had to deal with a more limited role this season due to Casemiro’s and Eriksen’s arrivals.
But that has not stopped him impressing when he has been granted first-team opportunities.
The 29-year-old has proven to be a solid option for Europa League and cup matches for United, while he was a regular under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s management.
But when asked about the prospect of Fred filling in for Eriksen, Ten Hag admitted the former Tottenham star was not easy to replace.
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He said: “I think you can never fill that gap because every player has his own characteristics, identity, another player will always fill in in a different way but it doesn’t mean you have to be less successful.
“It’s quite clear Christian Eriksen brings top quality to our squad and he has some specifics that are hard to replace, such as his impacts in the final third with his final ball.”
The Red Devils could look beyond their current squad for an alternative.
United have dived into the market on deadline day in a late attempt to lure Bayern Munich’s Marcel Sabitzer to Old Trafford.
The Austrian has spent two years at the Allianz Arena after a seven year spell at RB Leipzig.
The combative midfielder’s experience playing for big clubs in the biggest tournaments could make him a potential replacement who could go straight into the first-team.
It is also possible that Eriksen’s injury could trigger a wider tactical change.
Ten Hag may wager that no individual player can bring quite what Eriksen excels at and switch formation entirely to a back three.
The move could see Bruno Fernandes drop into a deeper position to replicate Eriken’s influence, while allowing Marcus Rashford and Antony to get closer to Wout Weghorst.
Harry Maguire could be drafted in to strengthen the backline and provide cover for a roaming Fernandes.
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United have won 11 of the past 13 games with Ten Hag largely sticking to the same team where possible.
They will look to keep that run up in February where a daunting European clash with Barcelona looms.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
