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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will have a difficult job when it comes to selecting a competitive team for Sunday’s Manchester Derby due to the sudden spate of injuries throughout the squad.
The biggest issue is selecting a left-back now that Luke Shaw is possibly out for the season. The club had terminated Sergio Reguilon’s loan in January while Alvaro Fernandez was deemed not ready for the step-up.
Tyrell Malacia has remained sidelined from the start of the season and now the manager has been forced to pick Victor Lindelof and Sofyan Amrabat in that role and both have struggled big time.
A couple of seasons ago, United had both Shaw and Alex Telles on the left with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sanctioning a €15 million move for the Brazilian back in 2020.
Potent LB partnership
His arrival had spurred Shaw into action and the Englishman had produced a couple of his best-ever seasons for the club following Telles’ arrival.
The Brazil international ended up making 50 appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions in two seasons, scoring once and providing eight assists.
Despite a few good showings including a magical goal in the Champions League against Villareal, the player failed to match his exploits in Portugal and that eventually led to his ouster.
For FC Porto, he scored 26 times and provided a mind-boggling 57 assists including 10+ assists in each of his seasons there.
When Ten Hag came onboard, he played the former FC Porto man as the left centre-back but deemed the 31-year-old to be not up to the standards required and sent him out on loan to Sevilla.
He ended up winning the Europa League with the Spanish side and returned to Old Trafford but was quickly sent packing to Al Nassr.
Telles on United stint
The full-back, in an interview with SAPO Desporto revealed what an honour it was to play for the 20-time English league champions but admitted he could have done a lot more.
His chances were limited due to Shaw enjoying the form of his life but he has no regrets and added that the Englishman remains a friend.
“It was a mixture of adaptation and [the fact that] they also had a great player in Luke Shaw, the best left-back in the Premier League at that time. In my first year we shared the games and the place in the starting eleven.
“But we got along really well, he’s a friend and has a lot of quality. Under these circumstances, he deserved most of the playing time. I managed to play 25 games per season. 50 games at a club with United [in two years] is positive. It was very good for my career.”
The move also ensured added gametime for the Brazil national team, which was one of Telles’ goals and one of his reasons for choosing to come to the Premier League.
“My trip to England was also [the fulfillment of] a wish. I had the dream of playing in the Premier League, the most competitive championship in the world, in my opinion, with a very high quality, with great players and great teams.
“It was one of my career goals and thank God I managed to achieve it. I knew that by being there I would have a better chance of being called up to the Brazilian team. It was something very strategic for me.
“And everything worked out, I had a very long sequence [of games] in the [Brazilian] team and I managed to play in a World Cup, which was my biggest dream.”
Ronaldo called and Telles answered
Like many of his contemporaries, the former Gremio star chose to leave Europe for the riches of the Saudi Pro League. But for Telles, the decision was arrived at due to Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portuguese left United after a falling out with the manager and an explosive television interview and joined Al Nassr. And the full-back reveals when he received his teammate’s call, it was hard to turn down.
“Cristiano Ronaldo was a very important reason for me coming here. We exchanged messages before, my agent was involved but obviously, when it comes to the legend Cristiano Ronaldo, the greatness he has, we already knew him from Manchester United and he made it easier for me to come.
“We talked a lot, he told me what the club was like and that he was looking forward to my coming. I’m happy to have an athlete and human being like him. So all the effort that I put in is also for him, for Al Nassr and for all the athletes who are here.”
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