When Diogo Dalot was forced off in the first-half of Manchester United's League Cup quarter-final win over Charlton in January, there was concern about the impact that his absence would have on the team. The Portuguese ace had been in good form for the Reds prior to the World Cup, but the fact that he hasn't been missed shows how well Aaron Wan-Bissaka has performed in his place.
United defender Dalot, who was in the Old Trafford directors' box for the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night, started in 20 of the first 21 matches prior to the World Cup, and the only one he missed was through suspension. He returned from Qatar having picked up an injury, and did not feature until the win over Bournemouth last month.
With the 23-year-old out of action, it provided out-of-favour Wan-Bissaka with an opportunity to impress, despite having appeared surplus to requirement earlier in the campaign. The English right-back, who cost United £45m plus £5m in add-ons, has started in United's last six league games, having only played four minutes all season prior to the World Cup.
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He also featured in the FA Cup victory over Reading, and played in the Carabao Cup triumphs over Burnley, Charlton Athletic and both matches against Nottingham Forest. Since his four-minute cameo off the bench against Liverpool in August, Wan-Bissaka has started 10 matches - and played the full 90 minutes on eight occasions.
During the January transfer window, the 25-year-old was linked with a return to Crystal Palace. Before the end of last year, it appeared unthinkable that the defender would play consistently for United again, never mind impressing while doing so. However, with Dalot now back in training after being sidelined with an injury, the pressure is really on Wan-Bissaka to perform.
In his four appearances against his former club, the United full-back has been booked twice. He has recorded just one victory over the Eagles, but has also lost just once. Given that he was up against the tricky Wilfried Zaha in all four matches, it isn't really a surprise that the Palace star got the better of him on one or two occasions.
Wan-Bissaka made just 46 appearances for the London club before the Reds spent big on him in 2019. The defender, then 21, had thrived at Selhurst Park and appeared destined for a move to the top. He has shown glimpses of what he is capable of, but in recent seasons, he has struggled to prove himself.
In the past few weeks, however, the defender has demonstrated why the club were so desperate to sign him four years ago. His opportunity came as a result of an injury to his teammate, but to his credit, Wan-Bissaka has grabbed it with both hands.
When Erik ten Hag's side face Palace on Saturday afternoon, it would come as a surprise to see Dalot's name in the starting line-up, but it is certainly a possibility. The Portugal international was in good form before being sidelined, and he does deserve an opportunity to reach those levels once again. However, his teammate has been performing at a good level in recent weeks, and it would be a brave call to take him out of the side.
Should Wan-Bissaka get the nod over Dalot, it is vital that he delivers. He is likely to be up against Palace's main dangerman once again - but Zaha is someone who he knows well, and when they came face-to-face in the reverse fixture last month, the United defender denied the Eagles star a near-certain goal.
It was one of his strongest performances since coming back into the side, and he would have had another clean sheet to his name had it not been for Michael Olise's late free-kick.
While it is important to remember how well Dalot had been playing prior to his hamstring injury, it is also important to give Wan-Bissaka credit for his strong showings. It would have been easy for the right-back to push for a move away from Old Trafford at the start of the transfer window, but he, and the club, were keen for his United career to continue.
Dalot will eventually get his chance to start for the Reds again, and it is likely to come in the next few weeks. For now, though, there is an argument to suggest that it is Wan-Bissaka's shirt to lose. He is a shaky performance away from being replaced, and at the elite level, that can happen to anyone. Yet, anything close to the levels he has set in the past month or so will give Ten Hag a real selection headache - and that is all he can do.
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