Erik ten Hag knows two Manchester United signings can make his undroppables even better

In terms of candidates for Manchester United's most important players of Erik ten Hag's first season in charge at Old Trafford, two names stand out among several.

Marcus Rashford has had the best season of his career so far. The 25-year-old is on the cusp of breaking the 30-goal mark for United this campaign, a key moment in his Old Trafford tenure.

The forward, born and bred in Wythenshawe, has a contract at United until the summer of 2024 as things stand. It seems unthinkable that he will not be at the club beyond that date, and United are confident that Rashford will agree a new contract with his boyhood club.

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Up there too, along with the likes of Luke Shaw, Bruno Fernandes and Lisandro Martinez, is the figure of Casemiro. Eyebrows were raised in some quarters when United splashed in the range of £70m for a midfielder who had turned 30.

However, his showings this season have silenced any doubters and provided evidence of why United were right to part with a such high fee to Real Madrid last August. Instead of buying potential, this is an instance where United have brought in proven world-class quality, and it has helped to transform them.

Despite not being at his optimum level of late since returning from his latest suspension, ten Hag believes there were signs the Brazil international was back to his best in the win over Aston Villa. With regular match rhythm, the United boss hopes to see the best of the summer signing on a more consistent basis for the remainder of this campaign.

United now look fairly certain to end this season in the Champions League, with a potential third-placed finish on the cards ahead of Newcastle