Erik ten Hag could unleash new Manchester United partnership vs West Ham

Erik ten Hag might finally have a genuine selection conundrum when Manchester United embark on the journey south to West Ham on Saturday afternoon. It has been a long time in the making.

United have been hit harder than most when it comes to injuries this season. However, while things are far from easing up in the treatment room at Carrington, they have been offered a welcome selection boost with Denmark playmaker Christian Eriksen poised to return after six weeks out with a knee strain.

Eriksen is not the force he was at Tottenham, but United have missed his creativity and guile in the engine room. Goals have been a significant problem so far this season and nobody else - Bruno Fernandes aside - can see those defence-splitting passes that the inventive Eriksen can.

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One way or another, Ten Hag would be well-served getting the Dane straight back into his starting XI for the trip to London on Saturday lunchtime. But with Fernandes a shoo-in to start after serving his one-match ban, Ten Hag will know as well as anyone that four into two will not go.

Sofyan Amrabat can be discounted. Signed on loan this summer to add competition and cover for the still-absent Casemiro, the World Cup hero for Morocco has not yet done enough to hold down a regular shirt and he will soon be out-of-action himself while on AFCON duty for his country.

Given their long-standing issues in putting together a competitive midfield combination, United do at some point need to start forward planning. Eriksen offers Ten Hag a different option, although his would-be inclusion might be tough on Kobbie Mainoo or