Manchester United might already have their Amad Diallo replacement

Manchester United have been handed a serious setback with star forward Amad Diallo set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after he sustained ankle ligament damage in training last week.

Amad picked up the unfortunate injury when he attempted a tackle in a training session and is expected to miss the remainder of the season as he undergoes his rehabilitation process. It is a huge blow for United, who are now without their Player of the Season so far, and the forward who has netted nine goals and notched seven assists across all competitions.

Ruben Amorim will have to find a way to try and replace the attacking threat Amad provides but the one crumb of comfort is they might already have an ideal replacement for his unique approach in the forward line.

Manchester United might already have their Amad Diallo replacement

United primarily signed Patrick Dorgu to solve their issues at left wing-back, though he could prove to be a solution in attack following the injury setback to Amad. The 20-year-old actually made the majority of his appearances for Lecce on the right wing this season, a position where he scored all three of his league goals for the club. In fact, of his 25 outings this season, 13 of them have come on the right flank, with the other 12 when he has played on the left. “I don’t really mind, I can play both sides,” Dorgu said after he made his United debut at right wing-back. “I have played a lot on the right for my old team and I played on the left also. So I’m comfortable in both positions.”

It was a claim backed by head coach Amorim, who defended the surprising decision to play Dorgu on the right rather than the left against Leicester in the FA Cup. “No, he played a lot of times in Lecce on the right," he said when quizzed on the decision. "That is one of the characteristics that we pay attention to a lot, to have a player like him. He has space, he has strength, he’s going to improve a lot. And we, as a team, we need to play better to help these new guys to perform at the right level. But the position, and you can can see in Wyscout that he’s played in both sides.”

A big part of Amorim's tactical set-up is having a left-footed player in attack to open up different passing avenues and add an extra dimension to their approach. United will not only lose the goal threat of Amad but they will also lose his unique skillset as a left-footed forward, something the head coach will be eager to address.

It makes Dorgu a compelling choice on the right, either as a wing-back or even as one of the two attackers playing behind a striker, where he can cut inside onto his dominant foot and pose a threat at goal. With Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui suitable cover at wing-back, it could well be that the player signed to solve their issues on the left helps solve their issues on the right instead.

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