Christian Eriksen's greatest contribution to Manchester United could be yet to come

Hearts in mouths. Hands on heads. Eyes wide open in disbelief. The lumbering Andy Carroll had just slammed into Christian Eriksen for no apparent reason, leaving him in a heap he struggled to get up from. A needless challenge leading to a gutting injury.

Carroll would receive his long-overdue marching orders later on in the match for a tackle as misjudged as a BBC executive ordering Gary Lineker to apologise for tweeting the mildest of opinions on a government policy but the damage was already done. Eriksen left Old Trafford after the FA Cup victory over Reading on crutches with an ankle injury that would rule him out for months.

It came as a bitter blow for Manchester United. While Eriksen has been unassuming compared to fellow new arrivals Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez, he has also played a pivotal role in the side's transformation under Erik ten Hag.

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United's midfield was completely bereft of technical proficiency last year and could hardly string a pass together, playing a major role in a dreary, dull season that resulted in the club's worst-ever Premier League finish. Eriksen's introduction was vital, especially for a manager who wants his team to be proactive on the ball.

Eriksen brought a long-lost competency in possession and a wide range of passing that Fred and Scott McTominay are just incapable of. It helped modernise United and made them a side that can compete with the best in the country again. Losing him was a bitter blow and left many supporters wondering if the progress made would end there.

Just as when Casemiro has been suspended, there is real anxiety over United losing their most important players as the drop off in the