Manchester United's Alex Telles has stepped up to the plate in Luke Shaw's absence of late. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer received a significant setback in November as Shaw was ruled out with a hamstring injury, a blow that has left him sidelined ever since. 

In the past the responsibility of filling the left-back void has typically fallen on Brandon Williams, but the £13.6msummer signing of Alex Telles has given the Norwegian a new dynamic to consider. 

The two-cap Brazil international has stepped into the starting line-up for all three of United's Premier League outings since Shaw picked up his injury against Everton. 

United have won all three of those games against West Brom, Southampton and West Ham most recently, with Telles playing a particularly prominent role in the weekend win at London Stadium. 

Just three minutes after Paul Pogba had drawn the visitors level with a stunning yet equally controversial long range effort, Telles provided a delicious assist for Mason Greenwood to gobble up and fire United into the lead. 

It was the 27-year-old's first assist for the Red Devils and one that has been on the cards ever since he first pulled on the iconic strip. 

The jury is out on whether Telles can match Shaw as a defensive prospect, but he is rapidly establishing himself as the most threatening full-back option at the club. 

If he continues in this vein of form, and also showcases the level of passion that manifested itself when Telles dropped to his knees in celebration of Greenwood's goal, then his positional rival could find himself playing second fiddle upon his return from injury. 

With the exception of the near-mystical Bruno Fernandes, no player in the entirety of United's squad boasts a superior Whoscored rating than Telles (7.23) in terms of Premier League outings. 

Given Telles' eye-catching opening to life at Old Trafford, and the fact his Transfermarkt valuation stands at £36m, which is more than double what United paid for his services, it's beginning to look like Ed Woodward has pulled off a rare masterstroke in the transfer market.