Erik ten Hag got exactly what he wanted from Manchester United players during international break

With the final international break of the season now over, attention will turn to the business end of the campaign. For Manchester United, there is still so much left to play for - and potentially a lot of games to come.

Erik ten Hag's side were in good form prior to the March internationals, with the Reds - who look well placed to achieve a top-four finish - having secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League and progressed to the FA Cup semi-finals. United will be keen to add to their Carabao Cup triumph this term, meaning every player will need to contribute.

Should the Reds reach the final of the Europa League and FA Cup, they will play seven more matches in cup competitions. Having already played 26 times in the Premier League, United have 12 remaining games in the top-flight. At the end of the campaign, Ten Hag's side could have potentially played in every available match.

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Therefore, it would be fair to say that the international break came at a less-than-ideal time for the club. United - apart from the clash with Liverpool - were firing on all cylinders and would have been keen to continue their momentum. However, that was not possible, so the next best thing was for the players to get minutes in the tank, while also getting a rest where possible.

United actually had a number of first-team players who did not take part in any games during the break. David de Gea, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Fred and Jadon Sancho were not selected to represent their respective countries, while Raphael Varane recently called time on his career with France's national side.

Meanwhile, top goalscorer Marcus Rashford withdrew from the England