Thanks to Christian Eriksen’s unexpected return to Manchester United, manager Erik ten Hag was able to call on his ‘golden trio’ against Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Ten Hag happy with reunion ‘golden trio’
Eriksen was given a starting place because Bayern Munich mercenary Marcel Sabitzer was not fit enough to play against Forest. For the Dane it was his first starting place since the end of January, when he sustained an ankle injury. Eriksen came on as a substitute against Everton (2-0) and Sevilla (2-2).
“Natural talent”
The former Ajax player once again formed a midfield with Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes and that combination turns out to be worth gold for Ten Hag. Manchester United won fifteen of the seventeen matches in which Eriksen, Casemiro and Fernandes started together. United drew twice with the ‘golden trio’.
Ten Hag is happy with Eriksen’s return. “Christian is a natural talent. He makes everything look simple and smooth. Christian has so much skill and game intelligence. No, he wouldn’t have started if Marcel wasn’t injured. But if Christian comes in, it will certainly not be detrimental to the team,” said the Dutch manager.
The infirmary
Ten Hag saw Casemiro return from a suspension in the Premier League, but Fernandes will miss due to a suspension during the Europa League return against Sevilla (Thursday). Raphaël Varane, Lisandro Martínez, Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford, among others, are currently in hospital at United, which will play the FA Cup semi-final against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
“Things can change quickly,” Ten Hag points to the availability of his players. “Last week we had nine top fit defenders, now four. We are one of the few teams in Europe that is still active on three fronts. We showed against Forest that we can perform very well with the available players.”
Exceptional players
Eriksen was a bit surprised by his starting position after two substitute appearances since his recovery. “The run-up to the game was different for me than usual. I was told just before kick-off that I would start anyway. I felt bad for Marcel, but I was happy for myself that I could start again. Also I have a good relationship with Casemiro and Fernandes, two exceptional players. They know how to move and how to move ball. It is also easier for me to participate in the team again,” he said.
