Christian Eriksen has given Bruno Fernandes what he needed at Manchester United

There won't be many surprises when Erik ten Hag names his Manchester United side to face Brighton in the Premier League opener this weekend.

After a productive pre-season schedule, the Dutchman appears to have a strongest starting line-up in mind, hinted at by the minutes he gave to players this summer. That selection could change once signings are settled at the club, while there is also a desire to add others to the squad by deadline day.

But no matter what happens between now and the window closing on September 1, there is a core of players who seem certain of a starting role under Ten Hag whenever they are fit. That is the case with any manager at any club, but at United there has been an over-reliance on certain individuals more than most, given a lack of suitable squad depth.

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United still have some way to go to get the squad to where Ten Hag wants it, but with the summer addition of Christian Eriksen, he has at least eased the demands placed on Bruno Fernandes. Ever since he signed for the club at the start of 2020, Fernandes has been virtually undroppable for United given his unrivalled creativity and attacking threat from midfield.

His immediate impact of 12 goals and eight assists from his first half of a season at the club made him the poster boy for a new-look United side and cemented his starting role for his first season in Manchester. This time he got even better; with 28 goals and 17 assists across the entire campaign, he firmly established himself as a world-class playmaker.

Even last season, his numbers were good; 10 goals and 13 assists during a dire season for the club. The problem is that numbers don't always tell the true story