All three of Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw may now be wishing they had listened to the advice of ex-Manchester United star Patrice Evra as they each sit on the Old Trafford bench.
In the aftermath of United's 2-1 home win over Liverpool last month, the Frenchman insisted that the trio should leave the club before the summer transfer window ended amid fears over the amount of playing time they would all get under Erik ten Hag.
Not one of them started for the game against the Reds, with Ronaldo the only one actually featuring in any capacity at all after he was brought off the bench with just four minutes left to play. It doesn't look as if any of them will force their way into the starting XI any time soon amid United's recent run of stellar results.
Both Maguire and Shaw have not started a league game since the humiliating 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Brentford on match-day two of the season. While Evra admires Ten Hag for having the courage to drop three first-team regulars, he is not hopeful for the stars involved.
Speaking to Betfair after United's first win of the season, Evra said: "We should give a lot of credit to Ten Hag because he's had a tough start to the season and coming into a game against Liverpool, to make changes, even in the game, you could see that he wanted the team to score that second goal to secure the win, was really important."
Reflecting on the fortunes of the three players dropped, Evra added: "Let's be clear, I can say people are too harsh on Harry Maguire, but he is paying the price for his transfer fee. From that day, I said he is going to have the most difficult season for United because people only looked at the price.
"If we bought him for £5 million, people would say he's an amazing centre-back. We all have bad games, but now we've got to a point where even if he has a good game people are not happy. So there's negativity around him."
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Evra went on to address Ronaldo's situation, claiming: "The Cristiano Ronaldo saga is another issue. Is he staying? Is he leaving? It's created a lot of confusion with fans. He's still here, the transfer window isn't closed but I think, personally knowing Cristiano if he doesn't play he would like to leave. I think this would be the best for him and for United.
"We've been playing Luke Shaw for so many years and I'm really careful when I talk about left-backs because I've been in this position and it's not an easy position. Luke Shaw has been here for so many years and he hasn't matched the standard set by Dennis Irwin or myself, and I think left-back is a really crucial position for United. Maybe it's time for those players to go."
As the old adage goes, the league table does not lie and United undeniably look like a much more threatening outfit with the three players Evra highlighted out of the side. Shaw has been replaced with summer signing Tyrell Malacia, who has seamlessly taken to life in the English top-flight.
Club captain Maguire is unlikely to dislodge either Raphael Varane or £55million-man Lisandro Martinez due to the stellar partnership that duo has formed over the last four games.
Last season, the idea of United achieving anything without Ronaldo in their line-up seemed incomprehensible. This term, it seems as if the opposite is in effect as Marcus Rashford thrives as the club's starting centre-forward.
The England international is enjoying a stellar run of form in front of goal with three strikes in six games, a tally that leaves him just one goal shy of his entire haul from last campaign when he bagged a feeble four in 25 outings.
All of those three goals came against big-six opposition after a winner against Liverpool and a brace to beat Arsenal, suggesting Rashford is now the man Ten Hag can turn to for the big occasion, rather than Ronaldo.
