With Jadon Sancho having been banished to another area of the Carrington training complex for his social media outburst, Man United are being urged to give a surprise candidate a run out in Sancho’s usual place.
Not only would any switch to the right wing be experimental for the player concerned, but manager, Erik ten Hag, could be taking a huge gamble that such a move would come off – and against a team such as Brighton and Hove Albion, that’s unlikely.
That said, after some disappointing results and manner of performances, the question that perhaps needs to be asked is ‘what does ten Hag have to lose?’
According to transfer guru, Dean Jones, United could do worse that putting captain Bruno Fernandes out wide, giving them options hitherto unavailable to them.
This simple tactical switch could also kick-start their season which, in turn, would galvanise the players.
“You start to consider what else they could do. You could throw (Bruno) Fernandes out there. I think that that’s an option you have to consider,” Jones told Give Me Sport.
“Also, if Hojlund is back in the lineup, if he goes through the middle and you’ve got Rashford, and if Martial was fit, then you’d have the potential of Rashford on one flank and Martial on another.
“So, you’d have to consider that. Then there’s also the thing with McTominay and him coming into form. Once Mount is fit again, he could go and play that position.
“So, Pellistri does look the most obvious fit for that role, but there are also a few other situations that I think ten Hag will be weighing up in the coming weeks.”
It’s a bold call from Jones but not one that you’d necessarily disagree with.
As the saying goes, risk brings reward, and with two losses and two wins – despite bitterly disappointing performances – United really could do with any little tweaks that could hand them the slightest of advantages.