Bruno Fernandes will be first choice at this season and Christian Eriksen has ‘no chance’ of playing alongside the Portuguese playmaker.
That’s according to former Liverpool star Danny Murphy, who is worried about the Dane’s chances of becoming a starter at Old Trafford.
Eriksen signed a three-year deal with the Red Devils last week after opting to leave Brentford, following a successful six-month stint with the Bees.
The Denmark ace was playing in a free role in north-west , allowing him to drop deep in order to dictate play.
While Erik ten Hag says Eriksen is capable of playing in a midfield two, he suggested in an interview this week that he has been signed to play as a traditional number ten.
That position has been occupied by Fernandes since the playmaker’s £49m move to Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon in 2020 and it would be a bold move to bench him given his productivity.
Ten Hag has played with a 4-2-3-1 system in pre-season, which means there would only be space for either Eriksen or Fernandes in the starting line-up.
And Murphy has warned Eriksen that he faces disappointment if he thinks he’ll knock Fernandes out of the starting XI, saying he has ‘no chance’ of playing alongside the Portuguese.
‘I think United are only going to play with one No.10,’ Murphy told TalkSPORT.
‘If you think you are going to get Eriksen and Fernandes in a midfield three and be able to compete with the best teams athletically and defensively, you have got no chance.
‘He (Eriksen) will play his fair share of games because you do not have the same XI every week. I think it is five substitutions this season as well, so there will be impacts off the bench.’
United have opted to keep Eriksen in the UK until they return from their tour of Australia.
It was felt the length of the trip, plus the time difference, would be too much for the Dane to combat given he’d be joining the tour halfway through.
He and Lisandro Martinez will therefore link up with their new team-mates when they return from Down Under and they’re likely to start in a pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford at the end of the month.
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