Man Utd dealt suspension problem that could have easily been avoided

“But also we need to get round their midfield as a three, they’ve been performing really well recently so it’s going to be a tough match-up.”

With United struggling in the final moments of the match to keep West Ham at bay, Ten Hag opted to substitute Eriksen, who had been impressive for long spells of the match, for the more defensive Fred, while McTominay replaced Anthony Elanga.

Fernandes, meanwhile, remained on the pitch despite the threat of losing him to suspension. And when United required him to take one for the team by halting Bowen, he was forced to pick up a yellow card, thus ruling him out of the clash next week.

It may be something that Ten Hag will rue after watching his side go eight games unbeaten in all competitions, given Fernandes’ recent upturn in performance levels.