Erik ten Hag has discovered the player his Manchester United system revolves around

It was somewhat typical of Manchester United to produce one of their best performances of the season so far against the backdrop of another defeat.

Up until Marcus Rashford's 42nd-minute dismissal at the Parken Stadium, United were cruising, already 2-0 up thanks to a Rasmus Hojlund double. However, FC Copenhagen came roaring back, making it 2-2, 3-3 and then 4-3, leaving United's hopes of reaching the last-16 of the Champions League hanging by a thread.

The Reds have lost three of their opening four group games, meaning they, realistically, must win their two remaining matches to advance to the knockout stages. If not, their European adventure could be over before Christmas.

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But if they do manage to turn their fortunes around and progress to the last-16, manager Erik ten Hag will be hoping United will have ironed out their problems and shaken off the worst of their injury crisis by the time those fixtures arrive. The Dutchman, in his defence, has had absolutely no luck with injuries so far this season, losing one key player after another.

The likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Casemiro and Hojlund, to name just a few, have all been unavailable at various junctures already this season. But have any of them been missed as dearly as Lisandro Martinez?

The Argentine has recently required a second round of surgery on a metatarsal fracture he sustained back in April, meaning he may not play again before the end of the year. He last featured when United were beaten 4-3 by Bayern Munich on September 20.

Though United had hardly