Anthony Martial has taken savage swipes at former Manchester United managers Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, accusing both of mistreating him during their Old Trafford reigns.

French forward Martial became the most expensive teenager in history at the time when he completed a September 2015 move worth up to £58million (€69m) from Monaco.

Signed by Louis van Gaal, he spent less than a year playing under the Dutchman, with whom he said he had "a great relationship".

Mourinho was Van Gaal's successor, appointed in May 2016, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic was among the first signings by the new boss.

According to Martial, his problems with Mourinho "started with the story of the jersey number", saying he unwillingly gave up the number nine to Swedish star Ibrahimovic.

"During the holidays, he [Mourinho] sends me a message to ask me if I want to change to the 11, explaining to me that it is great because it is that of the legend Ryan Giggs," Martial told France Football magazine.

"I tell him that I have the greatest respect for Giggs, but I prefer to keep the nine. And when I return to the club, I see my jersey with the 11, the story didn't start well. He lacked direct respect for me."

Martial said Mourinho, who is now boss of Roma, began to use "little phrases, a bit like he had done with Karim Benzema at Real [Madrid]", when talking in the media about Martial.

"He likes these little games, but he also knows who he is doing it with. He knows that I was 20 years old then, and that if I say something it is me who will pass for the young person who lacks respect," Martial said. "So I said nothing, it was useless."

Martial took issue with losing his place to another new recruit, Alexis Sanchez, who joined from Arsenal midway through the 2017-18 season.

"It's the season of the World Cup, and it cost me dearly in the end, especially since the France team won. I should have been there," Martial said.

Mourinho was sacked by United in December 2018, with club favourite Solskjaer coming in as a surprise successor.

France international Martial finished the 2019-20 campaign as United's top scorer with 23 goals, yet he subsequently faded from favour. He claimed Solskjaer mismanaged him after that prolific campaign.

Soon after Solskjaer's dismissal in November 2021, Martial was loaned out to Sevilla, where he scored once in 12 appearances, nine of which were starts.

Martial said he had "regularly played injured" during Solskjaer's reign, claiming the manager failed to make that clear to outsiders as he struggled.

"The coach never bothered to tell the media," said Martial, who remains a United player. "Obviously, I ended up getting injured for good and when I came back I didn't play any more. I took it very badly, I had a feeling of injustice.

"You're asked to sacrifice yourself for the team and afterwards you are dismissed. For me, it's almost treachery."

Luka Modric believes Real Madrid are well-equipped to thrive in the aftermath of Casemiro's move to Manchester United, as he praised Los Blancos' midfield options.

Casemiro left Madrid to join United in a £60million (€70m) move last month, but his departure has not stopped Carlo Ancelotti's men from making a strong start to the new season.

Ahead of Sunday's home clash with Mallorca, Madrid have won all four of their games in LaLiga and began their Champions League defence with a 3-0 thrashing of Celtic on Tuesday.

Madrid are the only team with a 100 per cent record in the top five European leagues this season, and are now bidding to win their opening five league matches for just the second time in the 21st century, having also done so in 2009-10.

The likes of Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde have stepped up in Casemiro's absence. 

Of Madrid's midfielders, new signing Tchouameni leads the way for minutes played in LaLiga this season (328), followed by Valverde (265), Modric (260) and Camavinga (222). All four have made more starts than the two managed by Toni Kroos, who has played 173 minutes.

Modric believes the strength of Madrid's options means Casemiro will not be missed, telling the club's website: "We've started really well this year and we have a strong team. 

"In midfield, we lost an important player in Casemiro, but we've got a lot of other good players to replace him and do a good job. 

"Tchouameni has adapted really well. This is Camavinga's second year and he had a great first year.

"Kroos has been here for a long time. Valverde is also doing really well in any position. [Dani] Ceballos is helping the team a lot, so we're well-equipped in this position."

Meanwhile, Eden Hazard capped Madrid's trip to Celtic by finishing off a 33-pass move for their third goal. Since Opta data began in 2003-04, that is the longest uninterrupted build-up to any of Madrid's 434 goals in the competition.

But speaking on Saturday, Ancelotti insisted the Belgium forward's strike was not representative of a change in Madrid's style of play.

"Madrid deserves the credit it gets but scoring a goal from a 33-pass play doesn't mean that's our whole identity," the Madrid boss said.

"The game was almost over and we wanted to finish it out with a long spell of possession, but the stats say it's easier to score in under 10 passes. The numbers show very few goals come from over 10 passes.

"You could say that playing a possession-based game has been fashionable and has seen success in recent years, but football is changing and it's more direct.

"Possession football is less popular than it has been recently in every country."

Chelsea's first big transfer splash under new boss Graham Potter could reportedly be RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, after the club had a £77million bid rejected before the deadline.

Gvardiol is young at 20, but he does not lack experience, having already been awarded 10 senior international caps for Croatia, as well as racking up 47 club appearances in all competitions last season for Leipzig.

He was one of many high-profile defenders to be enquired about during Chelsea's search that ended up landing Leicester City's Wesley Fofana and Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly.

But with Koulibaly already 31 and Thiago Silva now 37, the club may feel it is best to figure out the succession plan sooner rather than later.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA PLAN BIG MOVE FOR GVARDIOL IN JANUARY

With over £150m spent between Fofana, Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella, while being tied with Manchester United for the fewest goals scored in the Premier League by a team in the top-half (eight from six games), it is curious to see the Stamford Bridge side still so desperate for defensive help.

It remains to be seen what kind of budget Potter will be allowed to use in the January window, given all the recent signings had been under Thomas Tuchel's guidance, and it is also fair to assume a potential Gvardiol deal would not have this season's results in mind, given their previous offer included loaning him back to Leipzig.

Ownership's willingness to open up the cheque book in January would have likely been discussed during their recruitment of Potter, and Bild remain convinced Chelsea's interest with the young Croatian is far from over.

ROUND-UP

– According to The Mirror, Arsenal and Newcastle United will compete for the signature of 26-year-old Benfica left-back Alex Grimaldo, who is said to be available for £8.6m due to being in the last year of his contract.

– The Metro is reporting United full-back Diogo Dalot turned down a move to Milan, instead wishing to fight for his spot at Old Trafford.

– According to inews, Newcastle are joining the race for Vasco da Gama teenager Andrey Santos, who reportedly has a £30m price tag and is a target of Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.

– Jordi Alba is unsettled at Barcelona amid interest from Inter, but remains committed to the club where he now has to contend with Alejandro Balde and Marcos Alonso for the starting role, according to Marca.

Manchester United have confirmed next Thursday's Europa League group meeting with Sheriff will go ahead as planned.

United's Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on Saturday has been postponed, as have all Premier League games this weekend, following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II at the age of 96.

However, United will travel to Moldova as planned next week for their European tie with Sheriff at Bolshaya Sportivnaya Arena.

A statement on United's official website on Friday read: "Following discussions with the relevant governing bodies and in line with guidance issued by the UK Government, we can confirm our UEFA Europa League fixture against FC Sheriff will take place as scheduled on Thursday evening in Moldova.

"Match arrangements will remain the same for fans who are travelling to support the team in Chisinau. "

United lost 1-0 to Real Sociedad in their Group E opener on Thursday, with the game going ahead despite the Queen's death being announced a few hours beforehand.

The Red Devils paid their respects to Her Majesty in a statement released ahead of the game, in which they held a minute's silence ahead of kick-off and wore black armbands.

"Manchester United shares the sorrow of the entire nation following the announcement from Buckingham Palace on the passing of Her Majesty, The Queen," United's statement read.

"The club recognises her immense contribution to public life, including sport, both here in the United Kingdom, across the Commonwealth, and around the world.

"Everyone connected with Manchester United joins the wider football family in sending our deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathy to The Royal Family."

Cristiano Ronaldo has offered his condolences to the Royal Family following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, describing the late monarch as "irreplaceable".

The Royal Family revealed on Thursday that the longest-serving sovereign in the UK's history had passed away peacefully at the age of 96.

The sporting world has united in grief following her death, with Ronaldo's club Manchester United hailing her "immense contribution to public life, including sport, both here in the United Kingdom, across the Commonwealth, and around the world", in a club statement.

Ronaldo took to social media to pay his own respects on Friday, writing on Instagram: "Seven years of my career were played in the Premier League, making this my eighth season living in England. 

"Throughout these years, I've felt the everlasting love of the UK for its Queen, and how important Her Majesty was and will forever be to the British people. 

"I pay my respect to her memory and I mourn this irreplaceable loss with the country that I've learned to call home. My thoughts and prayers are with the Royal Family."

On Friday, the Premier League called off its full weekend fixture programme as a "mark of respect" for the Queen, who was described as "an inspiration" in an official statement.

The Football League (EFL) did likewise, before the Football Association (FA) confirmed all games scheduled in England between September 9 to 11 would be postponed.  

Napoli were not interested in signing Cristiano Ronaldo in the recent transfer window due to their desire to build a younger side, according to sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli.

Ronaldo reportedly declared his intention to leave Manchester United after they missed out on Champions League qualification last season, but he failed to complete a transfer before the end of the window.

The likes of Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid ruled out a move for the 37-year-old Portuguese legend after being touted as potential destinations, while Napoli were also linked.

Ronaldo has only started one of United's six Premier League games this season, playing just 207 minutes of league football under Erik ten Hag.

Napoli, meanwhile, have made a bright start to their Serie A campaign despite losing the likes of Lorenzo Insigne and Dries Mertens, and Giuntoli believes a move for Ronaldo would not have fitted with the club's transfer policy.

"During the transfer market we pretend to chat with everyone, and sometimes we do it for real," he said on Friday. 

"But we wanted to invest in a young team."

Napoli were also linked with a move for Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas after selling midfielder Fabian Ruiz to the French giants, but Giuntoli does not see that deal being revived. 

"PSG were interested in Fabian, whom we had to sell, we could bring a high-level goalkeeper to Naples to work alongside [Alex] Meret. In the end, the operation was closed. 

"They did not find an agreement on the salary with the player and we knew we had a binding ceiling that we do not breach for anyone."

Asked whether Navas would be targeted in January, he said: "No, we trust Meret. We are happy that he stayed and against Liverpool he had a great game. Enduring the pressure of the summer did him good."

Napoli remain unbeaten in Serie A this season and made a scintillating start to their Champions League campaign by thrashing Liverpool 4-1 on Wednesday.

But Luciano Spalletti's men suffered a blow when striker Victor Osimhen hobbled off shortly before the break, and the club have now confirmed the Nigeria international suffered a hamstring injury.

"As scheduled, Victor Osimhen underwent diagnostic tests this morning which revealed a second degree injury to his right hamstring," a Napoli statement read on Friday. "The striker had already started carrying out therapies yesterday."

England's second day of the final Test against South Africa has been postponed and tributes continue to flood in as the sporting world reacts to the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Buckingham Palace confirmed on Thursday Her Majesty had passed away peacefully at the age of 96, with members of the Royal Family travelling to Balmoral to be by her side.

The Queen was the UK's longest reigning monarch. 

Here, Stats Perform wraps up what impact her death has had on sporting events and picks out tributes from some of the biggest names in sport.

Postponements announced, with weekend fixtures likely to be impacted

The England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed the second day of the third Test against South Africa will not take place on Friday.

There was no play on Thursday at The Oval due to poor weather, and the deciding encounter will not resume on Friday as planned.

The ECB said an update would be provided in "due course" for fixtures over the weekend and beyond.

Friday's play at the BMW PGA Championship has also been suspended, with no word yet on whether the tournament will continue over the weekend.

Europa League fixtures involving Manchester United and Arsenal, and West Ham's Europa Conference League game all went ahead on Thursday. Each match featured a moment of silence, while players wore black armbands in tribute.

There has been no confirmation on whether Premier League games will go ahead this weekend, although the English Football League called two games off on Friday as a "mark of respect".

Norwich City were scheduled to visit Burnley in the Championship on Friday, while Tranmere Rovers and Stockport Country were set to meet in League Two.

Northampton Saints' Premiership Rugby Cup clash with Saracens on Thursday was postponed, but Leeds Rhinos' Super League game against Catalans Dragons on Friday is still scheduled to take place.

Governing bodies and teams herald 'one of the world's most-respected figures'

The Premier League said it was "deeply saddened" to hear of the passing of the Queen, while England's biggest football clubs expressed their sorrow.

A statement from Manchester United read: "Manchester United shares the sorrow of the entire nation. The club recognises her immense contribution to public life, including sport, both here in the United Kingdom, across the Commonwealth, and around the world."

Premier League champions Manchester City expressed their "sincere condolences" to the Royal Family and said "Her Majesty's dedication and service has been exemplary".

Chelsea said they "join those mourning in the UK and across the world", while Liverpool also expressed their sadness at the Queen's death.  

The Football Association (FA) also joined in with the tributes.

The Queen famously handed over the Jules Rimet Trophy to Bobby Moore after England's World Cup final triumph over West Germany at Wembley in 1966.

Meanwhile, she recently told the women's football team – the Lionesses – that their home triumph at Euro 2022 would serve as "an inspiration for girls and women today, and for future generations".

The FA released a statement on Twitter, reading: "We have sent our deepest condolences to our president, HRH The Duke of Cambridge and the whole of the Royal Family following the passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. We join our nation in mourning her loss."

In tennis, a minute's silence will be held at the US Open, while the ATP and WTA Tours paid tribute.

The US Open will pay tribute to Her Majesty with a photo montage and moment of silence ahead of the first women's singles semi-final between Ons Jabeur and Caroline Garcia at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Meanwhile, the ATP and WTA tweeted: "We are saddened to hear of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We are grateful for her contributions to tennis, and our thoughts and condolences are with the British Royal Family."

Formula One president and CEO Stefano Domenicali offered his "deepest condolences" to the Royal Family, while UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said: "UEFA and European football are truly saddened by the passing away of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, one of the world's most-respected figures."

Beckham and Pele lead sporting tributes 

The sporting world has been quick to pay tribute to the Queen, with the likes of Pele, Roger Federer and David Beckham all sharing their memories of her. 

Pele, widely considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, posted on Twitter: "I have been a great admirer of Queen Elizabeth II since the first time I saw her in person, in 1968, when she came to Brazil to witness our love for football and experienced the magic of a packed Maracana.

"Her deeds have marked generations. This legacy will last forever."

Former England men's football captain Beckham posted on Instagram: "I'm truly saddened by the death of Her Majesty, The Queen. What an outpouring of love and respect we saw for the Platinum Jubilee for her life of service.

"How devastated we all feel today shows what she has meant to people in this country and around the world. How much she inspired us with her leadership. How she comforted us when times were tough.

"Until her last days, she served her country with dignity and grace. This year, she would have known how loved she was. My thoughts and prayers are with our Royal Family."

Eight-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer tweeted: "I am deeply saddened by the passing of Her Royal Majesty. Her elegance, grace and loyalty to her duty will live on in history.

"I would like to send my thoughts and condolences to the entire Royal Family and Great Britain."

Another tennis legend, Billie Jean King, also took to social media to share a photo of her meeting the Queen at Wimbledon in 2010, while paying her own tribute to a "respected leader around the world."

The 39-time major winner posted: "For 70 years, her leadership, impact, and influence on the United Kingdom and the entire global community has been immense. I met her in 2010 at Wimbledon, and it was a special moment for me.

"She was the longest reigning British monarch in history, the only woman from the Royal Family to serve in the armed forces, and a respected leader around the world. She earned her place in history, and she will be missed."

World Athletics president Sebastian Coe, who helped mastermind the London 2012 Olympic Games, said: "The Queen was such a beloved constant in the lives of so many people over so many years that it is hard to comprehend that she is no longer with us," he stated.

"She was on the throne before most of us were born and she lived a life of extraordinary service to the people of her country and the Commonwealth.

"In the most demanding of roles, she has shown exceptional leadership, grace, wisdom and fortitude, touching us across the full fabric of society, including sport."

Galatasaray have had a busy end to the Turkish transfer window, adding former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata on a permanent deal, as well as Paris Saint-Germain striker Mauro Icardi on loan in a flurry of moves.

Icardi appears to be the jewel of their significant haul, still aged 29 with plenty of big-match experience, with Galatasaray able to position themselves as the beneficiaries of the Ligue 1 champions' abundance of forward talent.

Mata, 34, is clearly closer to the end of his career, but with 41 international caps for Spain and over 50 Premier League goals, he will bring a valuable level of experience to a side currently sitting seventh on the Super Lig table through five games.

Adding to their influx of talent, Galatasaray also paid €6million to secure 19-year-old winger Yusuf Demir from Rapid Vienna, and €1.75m for 21-year-old centre-back Mathias Ross from the Danish Superliga.

Their late activity caps off a transfer period where they were also able to add former Napoli winger Dries Mertens on a free transfer, Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira for €6m and Benfica striker Haris Seferovic on a €1m loan.

A Brais Mendez penalty helped Real Sociedad beat Manchester United 1-0 in their Europa League Group E opener on Thursday, which followed an impeccably observed tribute to Queen Elizabeth II. 

Old Trafford fell silent before kick-off to honour Her Majesty, who died earlier in the day at the age of 96, while players from both sides wore black armbands in tribute to the monarch.

Cristiano Ronaldo – making just his second start of the season – went close on a number of occasions for the hosts, who registered just three shots on target in the whole game.

The Red Devils' four-game winning streak was ended shortly before the hour mark when Mendez slotted home from 12 yards after substitute Lisandro Martinez had handled in the area.

United were comfortably the better side in the opening 30 minutes, yet they failed to carve out any clear opportunities.

Ronaldo thought he had given his side the lead 10 minutes before the interval, but his powerful header was ruled out after he had strayed into an offside position.

The Portuguese superstar inexplicably headed wide with the goal at his mercy immediately after the restart, before lashing just over from outside the penalty area.

La Real went ahead in the 58th minute when Mendez powered home from the spot after David Silva's shot had struck Martinez's arm.

Erik ten Hag brought on Bruno Fernandes at half-time, and Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho in the second half, but United were unable to find a way past the visitors' stubborn backline in the closing stages.  

What does it mean? United's home run comes to an end

This defeat was United's first in 19 home matches in the Europa League – a run that started with victory over FC Midtjylland in February 2016. 

Meanwhile, it was La Real's first-ever win against English opponents in Europe at the seventh time of asking. 

Mendez shines 

Mendez put in an industrious display and deserved his status as match winner. The former Celta Vigo man scored with one of two shots – the most of any La Real player – while his total of two key passes was not bettered by any other player on the pitch. 

Antony struggles

Antony lit up Old Trafford with a debut goal against Arsenal at the weekend, but the former Ajax man was a subdued presence here. He had just one shot and failed to make a single key pass before he was replaced by Sancho with 20 minutes remaining.  

What's next?

Both sides return to domestic action on Sunday, with United away to Crystal Palace in the Premier League and La Real visiting Getafe in LaLiga.

Manchester United and West Ham have confirmed their European fixtures will go ahead, despite the announcement of the death of Her Majesty The Queen, Elizabeth II.

The news of the passing of the Queen at the age of 96 was confirmed by Buckingham Palace on Thursday.

Manchester United will play Real Sociedad in their opening Europa League group stage game at Old Trafford at 8pm local time, while West Ham host FCSB at London Stadium at the same time in their first outing in the Europa Conference League group stage.

Both clubs released similarly worded statements shortly after the announcement of the Queen's death confirming their games will go ahead on the direction of the Football Association and UEFA.

It was also revealed that a minute's silence will be held before kick-off of both games.

Arsenal held a minute's silence and wore black armbands at the start of the second half of their Europa League group stage game against FC Zurich to pay respects.

Manchester United have paid tribute to Her Majesty the Queen, Elizabeth II following the announcement of her death on Thursday.

The Premier League side posted a short statement of tribute following the news that the 96-year-old – Britain's longest-reigning monarch – had passed away, with their club crest rendered black on social media.

Erik ten Hag's side are set to face Real Sociedad in their Europa League opener later on Thursday at Old Trafford, and the club confirmed the match will proceed as planned.

"Manchester United shares the sorrow of the entire nation following the announcement from Buckingham Palace on the passing of Her Royal Highness The Queen Elizabeth II," read the club's statement.

"The club recognises her immense contribution to public life, including sport, both here in the United Kingdom, across the Commonwealth, and around the world.

"Everyone connected with Manchester United joins the wider football family in sending our deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathy to The Royal Family.

"Following direction from the FA and UEFA, tonight’s UEFA Europa League fixture against Real Sociedad will take place as planned at Old Trafford.

"A minute's silence will be held before kick-off which will allow the teams, match officials and everyone in attendance to pay their respects to Her Majesty, The Queen.

"Both teams will wear black armbands and the flags at Old Trafford will fly at half-mast as a sign of our utmost respect."

Chelsea dismissed Thomas Tuchel on Wednesday following their 1-0 Champions League loss to Dinamo Zagreb.

New Blues owner Todd Boehly wielded the axe after a slow start to the 2022-23 season for the London club.

Several names have been linked with the vacant post already, including Mauricio Pochettino and Graham Potter.

TOP STORY – VERBAL AGREEMENT IN PLACE FOR CHELSEA AND POTTER

Chelsea will formally offer their vacant manager role to Brighton and Hove Albion's Graham Potter, according to several UK reports.

Brighton had granted Chelsea permission to speak to Potter, with the two parties locked in talks on Wednesday evening following Thomas Tuchel's dismissal.

Ben Jacobs from CBS Sports claims that a verbal agreement is agreed between Chelsea and Potter, with Sky Sports' Rob Dorsett stating he could be unveiled as their new boss on Thursday.

ROUND-UP

– The Sun claims that Manchester United are ready to open discussions with Marcus Rashford on a new deal. Rashford, who has three goals this season, is contracted until mid-2023.

– The Sun also reports Wilfried Zaha is set to be offered a new deal by Crystal Palace. Zaha, who has been linked with Arsenal and Chelsea, is into the final year of his contract at Selhurst Park.

– Juventus are preparing for a straight swap deal in January with Aston Villa, which would see Moise Kean and Douglas Luiz trade places, according to JuveLive. Douglas Luiz's contract at Villa Park expires at the end of this season.

–  Everton and Arsenal both remain interested in Mykhaylo Mudryk but Shakhtar Donetsk want more than £30m (€34.5m) for the 21-year-old Ukrainian winger, claims Gianluca di Marzio.

Manchester United don't want to be in the Europa League, though they have become a little more familiar with UEFA's second-tier competition in recent years.

Nevertheless, this is the first time since the 2019-20 season that they've entered the Europa League in the group stage and there were positives to take from that campaign.

Those positives generally revolved around United being able to give young players the chance to impress.

Tahith Chong, Axel Tuanzebe, Angel Gomes, Brandon Williams, James Garner, Largie Ramazani, Ethan Galbraith, D'Mani Mellor, Dylan Levitt, Ethan Laird and Di'Shon Bernard all got opportunities to play in that group stage, with many of them making their debuts.

Granted, a scan of that list doesn't show many players who've gone on to become regulars at United – a few remain at the club but are either down the pecking order or unlikely to have long-term futures, while Garner recently joined Everton and Gomes and Ramazani are impressing elsewhere in Europe.

United allowed a lot of players to leave the club on permanent deals and loans in the most recent transfer window, so there is every reason to expect any youngsters given chances in the group may not be familiar faces.

Ahead of Thursday's group opener against Real Sociedad, Stats Perform takes a look at the young talents who might emerge for United over the next few months.

On the fringes

United fans will hope the Europa League final provides them with an opportunity to see Facundo Pellistri in action. The Uruguayan winger joined the club nearly two years ago but hasn't played a single minute of competitive action, and neither of his loan spells at Deportivo Alaves were particularly impressive.

He caught the eye in pre-season last year but was still shipped out – he made a couple of appearances this time around before suffering an injury, which also ended any plans for another loan spell.

But if there's any South American winger likely to stake his claim for more first-team minutes, it's Alejandro Garnacho. The 18-year-old has already played for the senior side, including once this term, and has been a regular among the substitutes for Erik ten Hag.

An explosive, direct winger, Garnacho appears to be one of the most talented players to come through at United in recent years.

Such statements had been reserved for Shola Shoretire until fairly recently. The gifted – albeit diminutive – forward became United's youngest ever player in European competition (17 years, 23 days) when appearing against Thursday's opposition in February 2021, so he still has time on his side, but he hasn't really kicked on since in terms of collecting first-team minutes.

Having said that, United reportedly shelved plans for him to go on loan just before the transfer window closed, with Ten Hag apparently keen to keep him around until January – perhaps an opportunity or two is around the corner?

Out to make a name

It's fair to say United have a lot of promising talent coming through at the moment. Among those yet to play for the senior side, Kobbie Mainoo looks the biggest prospect of them all.

Only 17, Mainoo is an elegant playmaker who possesses exceptional technical attributes – he ran the show as United's Under-21s beat Carlisle United's first-team 2-1 in the EFL Trophy last week and has been training with Ten Hag's main squad ahead of Thursday's match.

Mainoo's by no means the only midfielder exciting people at Old Trafford, though. Isak Hansen-Aaroen courted attention in pre-season when a pre-match photo showing his impressive tattoo collection went viral on social media – at the time he was 17, though there is no 18-plus restriction on body art in his native Norway.

Unbeknownst to many of those sharing the photo, Hansen-Aaroen is an extremely gifted and versatile player capable of featuring in midfield and attack. He's quick, a wonderful dribbler, creative and difficult to knock off the ball. He's clearly already got Ten Hag's attention as he featured briefly against Rayo Vallecano in pre-season – a competitive debut certainly isn't out of the question this season.

Former Manchester City youngster Charlie McNeill is another who has been training with the seniors this week. Something of a goal machine at youth level, the 18-year-old is a well-rounded striker who works hard and possesses strong associative attributes. Given Anthony Martial's continued absence, McNeill could be an understudy to Cristiano Ronaldo in Europe over the next few weeks.

Charlie Savage, son of former Wales international Robbie Savage, made his first-team debut under Ralf Rangnick last season – as did Zidane Iqbal. The two midfielders both have plenty of potential, with the former possessing some of the bite his dad was renowned for, and each will be hopeful of kicking on after a brief introduction to senior football in 2021-22.

Diogo Dalot hailed Antony's instant impact at Manchester United and backed the winger to "adapt quickly", with the partnership made easier between the pair due to their native Portuguese language.

Former Ajax winger Antony, who United paid an initial £81.3million (€95m) for, scored just three days after moving to Old Trafford as he netted in Sunday's 3-1 win over Arsenal.

That strike made Antony, aged 22 years and 192 days, the youngest Brazilian to score on his Premier League debut for any team.

Dalot operated at right-back behind the 22-year-old, the Portugal international starting his sixth game in succession for United, which suggests he may be Erik ten Hag's preferred option going forward.

While the pair hail from different countries, they both speak Portuguese – a factor that Dalot believes will help Antony settle into life in Manchester.

"I mean I think you could see the impact he had straight away in our team," Dalot said of his team-mate as United prepare to face Real Sociedad in the Europa League on Thursday. 

"It will take time for us to adapt to each other, but I think he adapted really quickly in the few days that he had in training and especially in the game [3-1 win over Arsenal].

"Obviously it makes it a little bit easier for me to speak to him in Portuguese, it comes out a little bit quicker than English.

"But I think he's a very good kid, very open to getting help as well, which is good, I think he'll adapt quickly. Everybody welcomed him as if he'd been here a long time, and I'm sure he'll be very successful."

Antony is not the only Brazilian to arrive for Ten Hag's side, with Casemiro leaving Real Madrid to join United, who have also brought in the likes of Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia.

Those new signings appear to be settling in, with United recording four straight Premier League victories after opening with two defeats, including a 4-0 hammering at Brentford.

Ten Hag has constantly reiterated United are far from the finished article – sitting fifth in the embryonic Premier League table, just three points behind leaders Arsenal – and Dalot is glad to see an upturn in form.

"It's always difficult when you lose games. Obviously, the mood is not the same, but in our heads we always come here every day to give 100 per cent, to get better in every aspect that we can," he added.

"After Brentford, we had a full week to prepare for a game we knew would be difficult. We won it, it's in the past, now we want to focus on tomorrow, and do the same thing every day, give 100 per cent and win games."

Dalot started just 19 league games last season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, but believes Ten Hag is now rewarding him for fighting for his position with Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

"I'm enjoying the opportunities I'm being given. This is why I came here, to play games, to give my best every single game, to be ready for every game, and this is what I've been doing and what I've been fighting for," he continued. 

"Competition will always be there, this is a club with high standards and high demands, this is the way that I like to work. I will try to keep on doing it for as long as I can. It's been a very positive start."

Erik ten Hag says Manchester United are in "control" when it comes to Marcus Rashford's future, adding that the forward is "happier" with his place at the club.

The England international was linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain over the off-season following a difficult 2021-22 campaign, where he scored just five times in 32 games across all competitions.

But with three goals and two assists in the first six games of the new Premier League season, the 24-year-old looks to have rediscovered both the best of his abilities and his satisfaction with life at Old Trafford.

Rashford's United contract expires at the end of the current campaign, but with United set to start their Europa League campaign against Real Sociedad this week, manager Ten Hag says the club have his future in hand, given they have the option to extend his contract by a year.

"Definitely," the Dutchman stated when asked if the forward was in his long-term plans. "I don't think he is out of contract - I think United control the situation.

"It's difficult for me to talk about the past. What I see is a happy Marcus Rashford. We worked really hard the last two months with him on different aspects. He likes it, he wants to transfer it to the pitch.

"He comes in every day, he enjoys it, he's smiling, [he has] a really positive vibe. If you put all of those things together and you are happy, you will contribute more to the team."

Rashford's role as a centre-forward has kept Cristiano Ronaldo out of the starting line-up the past four games for United, with the Portuguese star benched alongside captain Harry Maguire.

Quizzed on whether a return could be on the cards for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, Ten Hag acknowledged the veteran forward is fit to feature from the off, while discussing plans to rotate his squad for their European schedule.

"He started against Brentford, then not since, but he is ready to start," added Ten Hag.

"Of course [he can start for the majority of games]. We have to win every game. We want to win every tournament, so we take everything seriously.

"We not only have a team, we have a squad, but we have to win every game and that is the mentality Manchester United needs."

Ten Hag acknowledged his approach may not keep all of the big names in his squad satisfied, but says his players will get a chance to shine, providing they earn their place.

"Maybe I can not keep them all happy every game, but everyone gets the game time if they perform well, [it is] quite clear," he added. "We need everyone, we have a lot of games to cover."