Aaron Wan-Bissaka has stepped up to Erik ten Hag challenge to solve Manchester United problem

If you had suggested over your Christmas Day meal that Aaron Wan-Bissaka would be the starting right-back against Manchester City, Arsenal and Barcelona (twice), you would have been laughed out of the dining room.

But now, as some of us scoop up the leftover pancakes from Shrove Tuesday, we can judge that his 16 post-World Cup appearances have all been justified. No flash in the pan was his assist for United’s opener in their 4-2 victory over Burnley in the first game back from the mid-season break.

He has started 12 games since the victory over the Clarets and tallied nine clean sheets in that interim. The post-Qatar injuries sustained by Diogo Dalot allowed Wan-Bissaka to have a clear run at the right-back slot but the now-fit Portugal international is struggling to get a firm grip back in the side.

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The Englishman’s form is actually solving a problem for his manager, too. Wan-Bissaka seemed destined for the exit door over the summer as United tried to find suitors.

None came and illness and injury meant the defender was offered just four minutes of football in the first half of the season. The consensus was that his days at United were numbered with Ten Hag surely needing to dip into the market for competition for the improved Dalot.

The mid-season break undoubtedly allowed the unique opportunity of a reset for Wan-Bissaka and the defender has grasped hold of his time back in the first-team. Not only is he now providing competition for Dalot, he’s somewhat usurped him in recent weeks.

Dalot played just 23 minutes across both ties against Barcelona, albeit has started the last three league games. Both stars are now battling with each other