Full-back prodigy facing uncertain future at Manchester United

The emergence of academy prospects

Before Dalot could stake his claim at full-back, Solskjaer decided to reward the academy talents of Brandon Williams and Ethan Laird with sporadic first-term experiences. The former, who also captained the reserve side, impressed everyone with his tenacity and engine.

With Luke Shaw facing a long spell on the sidelines, Brandon Williams was the automatic choice to feature at left-back. Such was his progress, that Luke Shaw had to prove himself before claiming back his starting spot.

Ethan Laird, considered to be one of the best academy talents, made the most of limited opportunities he got by making it to the starting lineup for United’s Europa League clash against Astana in Kazakhstan.

Despite struggling with injuries, Laird has been promoted to the senior side now alongside Teden Mengi. This only shows the trust which Solskjaer has put in academy prospects.

It’s not that Diogo Dalot has been shunted, as he was provided with a window against Norwich City in the FA Cup. The Portuguese was solid defensively but struggled to create chances from wide areas – an area of expertise for the wide defender.

Since then, Dalot has been completely devoid of first-team action and Brandon Williams, predominately a left-back, gets the nod ahead of former Porto man as Wan-Bissaka’s backup.

Diogo Dalot’s plummeting status in the first team is his litmus test, where he has to perform at odds to earn back his place in the matchday squad – previously done by senior figures like Luke Shaw and Nemanja Matic.

There is no easy way around in this United group and the only way out of this mess is for Dalot to work hard and dedicate himself to training sessions.