Erik ten Hag must resist Scott McTominay temptation at Newcastle

The feeling in the Manchester United dressing room after the victory against Fulham was the players had earned an overdue rest.

The fixture list has been relentless since the World Cup and United had played two games per week for around 13 weeks, which meant it was no surprise to see them give the impression of being physically and mentally weary before the break.

Although United defeated Fulham 3-1 in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup at Old Trafford, an exit from the competition seemed probable before the London club spectacularly imploded with Willian and Alexander Mitrovic receiving red cards.

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It's certain the history books of this season will note that victory, not the manner of the performance, which is all that matters. The players returned home relieved after that game and a win in the last game before the international break was important.

The international break provided the majority of the squad with a change of scenery, a rest and an escape from the pressure of Premier League football and, for some players down in the pecking, a chance for valuable minutes.

McTominay, who is no longer a regular starter like he was with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in charge, is someone who was likely looking forward to the international break, for example, as he was set to start for Scotland in meaningful matches.

Although he initially kept Casemiro out of the team, he's made just seven league starts this season, which suggests he'll finish the campaign with significantly fewer starts than in previous seasons like his 28 in 2021/22 and 24 in 2020/21.

Erik ten Hag also made the decision to replace McTominay with Antony in the 60th minute against Fulham