Opinion: Considering Erik Ten Hag's replacement for injured Antony

On Tuesday, Erik ten Hag said that his winger Antony would not play in Wednesday night's home matchup between Manchester United and Leeds.

Although Antony has caused some controversy among Man United supporters, he has been a crucial member of Erik Ten Hag's team thus far this year and is one of the first names on the roster due to his very uncommon skill set.

Given that the Brazilian winger won't be playing in this match, Ten Hag will have some room to experiment with his lineup, something he has done quite a bit recently.

The most likely scenario is that Erik Ten Hag will reintroduce Jadon Sancho into the Starting XI and use him as a right winger, a position he has filled numerous times in his career.

However, considering Jadon Sancho's last-week substitute role against Nottingham Forest, it wouldn't be unexpected to see him start in the midfield three while Bruno Fernandes is moved to the right wing.

Erik Ten Hag appears to prefer Fernandes out wide, maybe because of his propensity to track back and defend or because of his ability to cross the ball into Wout Weghorst. Both of these possibilities are feasible, but Erik Ten Hag has other options as well.

There is still a certain Facundo Pellistri and Anthony Elanga in the Man United's ranks. They have both featured for the Red Devils this season on the right flank. However, they will both have to settle for a substitute role and contribute to the game from Manchester United's bench.


Scott McTominay and Anthony Martial are both out with new injuries, and Casemiro will play Leeds to serve the first of a three-game suspension. This implies that Fred and Marcel Sabitzer will probably get the ball rolling.

However, Weghorst might get a break after Marcus Rashford scored last Saturday after the Dutch attacker was substituted.

As a result, Jadon Sancho may play on the right while Alejandro Garnacho might occupy Rashford's left position. Alejandro Garnacho might feel like he is due a start after being substituted for Harry Maguire after coming on against Crystal Palace and helping to set up the goal.

Due to Antony's injury, there isn't a left-footed player who is naturally able to play on that wing, but Ten Hag does have options. It will be intriguing to see which one he chooses.

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