When the team news dropped an hour before Manchester United's 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday night, almost everyone was trying to make sense of Erik ten Hag's thinking.
The Dutchman, who was under pressure to deliver a positive result after the 3-3 draw with Galatasaray 72 hours earlier, named a starting XI that was not without its surprises.
As well as naming two right-backs in his back-four and a left-back at centre-back, he also left Rasmus Hojlund on the bench.
It was the first time that United had started a Premier League match without him that he had been available for since the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on September 3.
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