Erik ten Hag is two games away from confirming Manchester United transfer decision

Marcel Sabitzer was the signing Erik ten Hag needed when disaster struck for Manchester United.

However, coming up 10 weeks from his whirlwind Old Trafford arrival, the Austria midfielder has not actually yet been utilised for his main purpose. United now have a final chance to do so and his longer-term future will, as such, be shaped over the forthcoming days.

Rewind to late January and - with an unprecedented quadruple in sight - Reading striker Andy Carroll almost single-handedly dented their aspirations. Casemiro escaped one reckless challenge from the former Liverpool man, but Christian Eriksen was not quite so lucky.

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United progressed from that FA Cup showdown, but did so far from unscathed. It forced United to jot down their mid-season shopping list at lightning speed as they, somehow, convinced Sabitzer to complete his loan move in double-quick time.

It was a mightily impressive response from Ten Hag and key figures behind the scenes and the rationale was quite simple; to pair Sabitzer with Casemiro and ensure that United were not derailed by Eriksen's injury with Scott McTominay and Donny van de Beek also missing at that particular juncture.

However, while their revamped blueprint has not been followed - owing to more mitigating circumstances - Ten Hag can finally offer a massive hint as to his future plans in the market. But where will Sabitzer fit in amid an ongoing search for a dynamic new midfielder?

Somehow, with Eriksen's absence spanning 17 matches in all competitions, Sabitzer has not started alongside Casemiro and they have only totted-up 90 minutes together on-field across two-and-a-half months. Now that means, through no fault of his