If Erik ten Hag had been able to turn to his bench and call upon a senior central midfielder on Wednesday night, it is highly unlikely that Fred would have played the full 90 minutes against Leeds United.
The Brazilian has performed well for Manchester United off the bench in recent weeks, but he struggled against the Whites in midweek. The 29-year-old made his second successive start after being named in the starting line-up against Crystal Palace, with the midfielder having registered four goals and two assists in his 30 appearances this season.
Fred was on target in the cup victories over Nottingham Forest and Reading, yet, with no Casemiro behind him, and with the Brazilian having to play a different role, the former Shakhtar Donetsk man failed to take his chance against the Whites. He played at the base of the midfield, but he misplaced several paces and his runs actually proved to be counter-productive
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With Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes having performed so well as a trio this term, it is unsurprising that Fred - and Scott McTomiany - have struggled for starts. In the Premier League, Fred has started on just seven occasions and has played the full 90 minutes on just five occasions.
He has demonstrated that he can have a positive impact coming off the bench, with his energy and ability to press the opposition useful in the latter stages of matches. However, when the pressure was on to be the senior figure in midfield alongside deadline day signing Marcel Sabitzer, Fred struggled to influence the game.
Given the injuries to United's midfielders, it is almost certain that Ten Hag will stick with Fred for the clash with Leeds on Sunday afternoon. If he found it difficult to cope against the Whites at Old Trafford, there is a slight worry about how he will perform in what will be an intense atmosphere at Elland Road.
However, to Fred's credit, he has fond memories of coming up against Leeds, with the Brazilian midfielder having scored home and away against the Whites in his career. He found the back of the net in both Premier League fixtures last season - bagging in the 5-1 win at Old Trafford and the 4-2 triumph at Elland Road.
Despite this, the circumstances are different this campaign - for both sides. For Ten Hag, he is limited with midfield options, and Fred will benefit from that. When he comes up against the Yorkshire outfit at the weekend, it is vital that he improves on his performance from midweek. If not, the United boss could be tempted to give youngster Kobbie Mainoo a chance to start.
The 17-year-old midfielder signed a new long-term contract with the Reds and he has long been considered the shining light in his age group. Mainoo made his first-team debut against Charlton Athletic in the Carabao in January and was handed his second senior appearance from the bench against Reading in the FA Cup.
The Manchester Evening News understands that the youngster is known around the club as a very calm character. He is viewed as a person and player who takes everything in his stride. While his technical ability is evident for all to see, his dedication to improving his physical abilities has also been noted.
Mainoo has been included in the first-team squad on 10 occasions this season, and he has also impressed in the Premier League 2 whenever he has featured. Given that he is just 17 years of age, Ten Hag will be wary of throwing him in at the deep end, but given the current injury crisis, he might be left with no other choice.
You would certainly count on the midfielder to hold his own, and if Fred continues to struggle in the absence of Casemiro, it could potentially be worth giving the youngster the chance to shine. His new contract is a sign of how highly he is thought of at Old Trafford, and it could be an indication of what is to come in his Reds career.
It would come as a surprise if Mainoo isn't consistently part of the first-team set-up in the next few years, but if he continues to impress in training - and whenever he does get on the pitch - United fans could see him sooner than expected.
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