Erik ten Hag faced with clear Man United statement as Manuel Ugarte pushes for debut

Any lingering doubts about Manuel Ugarte's fitness were put to bed overnight as the Uruguayan played another full 90 minutes ahead of Manchester United's return to Premier League action.

The defensive midfielder was a rock for his country as they once again drew 0-0, this time against Venezuela. While goals may have been lacking from Uruguay's international break, their defensive solidity can be applauded with Ugarte playing no small part in that.

Sitting in front of his centre-backs, Ugarte performed well for the South Americans and was particularly impressive in duels winning eight out of 12. The former PSG man's clear strengths are also United's notable weaknesses so far this season.

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In the defeat to Liverpool, Casemiro did not cover himself in glory as a poor interception and dispossession led to both of Luis Diaz's goals in the 3-0 humbling. The Brazilian was hooked at half-time against the club's fiercest rivals and replaced by youngster Toby Collyer.

While this move clearly showed Ten Hag's faith in the academy graduate, it perhaps was more a sign of how low the manager regarded Casemiro's display. Twice over the international break, Ugarte has sent a clear statement to the United staff.

The 23-year-old is clearly ready to play 90 minutes at a high level and it is hard to see how Ten Hag would be able to justify leaving him on the bench to give Casemiro another opportunity. Ultimately, the only way the ex-Real Madrid man keeps his place now is if Ugarte is still suffering jet lag from his flight back to the UK.