Daily Star journalist Paul Brown feels that Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard is too good to sit on the bench at Old Trafford all season.
How has Lingard started the season at United?
The 28-year-old was linked with a permanent move to West Ham in the summer after his successful loan spell in east London last season when he scored nine top-flight goals to help the side to a sixth-place finish.
He ended up staying in Manchester, though, and has found his game time restricted so far. Lingard is yet to start a Premier League game this term, and he has played just 45 minutes across three appearances in England's top division.
Still, the England international has made the most of his rare opportunities to shine. He scored against Newcastle earlier this month, and followed that up by netting the winner against West Ham the week after, although he was later slammed by Michael Owen for refusing to celebrate against his former club.
What did Brown say about Lingard?
With Lingard making a number of impressive cameo appearances in recent weeks, Brown expects the attacking midfielder to get some more chances to play at United this season as he has claimed that Solskjaer simply cannot overlook the qualities that he brings to the table.
Speaking about how the coming months may pan out for Lingard, Brown told GIVEMESPORT: “I do think he’ll play for United this season. I think he’s too good, and has shown them he’s too good to be left out too much.”
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Can Lingard earn a regular starting berth at United this season?
Right now, that seems unlikely.
Lingard flourished at West Ham in the opening months of 2021 by playing largely as a No. 10, but that spot in the United team is currently occupied by Bruno Fernandes, who appears to be one of the first names on the teamsheet at Old Trafford.
If Lingard is going to break into the starting line-up, it seems that his best chance could be as a winger, but competition for these places is also sky high. Solskjaer has Jadon Sancho, Mason Greenwood, Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford who can fulfill these roles, making it difficult to see where Lingard fits in.
At the moment, Lingard seems to be content with shining as a substitute, but if he keeps coming up with moments of brilliance, Solskjaer may have no choice but to hand him a starting berth sooner rather than later.