Antony absence could hand Alejandro Garnacho chance to accept Erik ten Hag 'challenge' for Manchester United

It was another brief appearance off the bench for Alejandro Garnacho on Thursday and another in which the 18-year-old didn't need long to get the Old Trafford crowd on their feet.

For the partly injured, completely fatigued and 33-year-old Cesar Azpilicueta it must have felt like a nightmare to see Garnacho stripped off and ready to go. And it took the Manchester United man a matter of minutes to fly past a defender 15 years his senior, getting on the end of Jadon Sancho's cross but seeing his effort saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga.

It was only a brief moment but one that typified Garnacho's impact this season. His pace and directness is hard to manage on fresh legs, but after more than an hour of trying to manage Marcus Rashford it can resemble hell.

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Garnacho has come off the bench for 22 of his 33 appearances this season, his 1,212 total minutes working out at an average of just under 37 per match. Six of his last seven games have been below that average. His next could be considerably more.

Injury to Antony on Thursday night will rule him out for the visit of Fulham on Sunday and will almost certainly see him miss the FA Cup final next weekend. Erik ten Hag admitted after full-time on Thursday that it looked 'serious', minded to await results on further assessment before delving into the detail.

But as one door closes, another opens and Antony's absence could be the catalyst for Garnacho's first-team push. While the two tend to operate on opposite wings, in terms of playing style there are few as similar in this squad.

Garnacho, like Antony, is an entertainer - someone who gets the Old Trafford crowd on their feet with every touch. The South