Manchester United absentee confirmed Rangnick suspicions but Brighton return can fix clear flaw

Manchester United fans will be approaching tonight's rearranged Premier League game with Brighton with a sense of trepidation after a dour 1-1 draw with Southampton on Saturday but the return of Fred promises to offer a much-needed midfield boost.

Ralf Rangnick will be encouraged by the return of the 28-year-old after he missed the last two games due to testing positive for COVID-19 and he could come straight into the starting XI at the base of the midfield against the Seagulls.

There's no doubt as to why Fred splits opinion among the United fanbase. He ranges from looking like the midfielder United have long yearned for one minute and then resembles the very opposite the next. His inconsistency is maddening for supporters.

There remains a perception that Fred isn't quite at the required level to nail down a permanent starting role at Old Trafford because he's frequently susceptible to errors. Whether that's his first touch or weaker right foot, there are obvious flaws to his game.

But at the same time, when he is on the receiving end of praise, it's normally because he's deserving of it and United's 3-1 win at Brentford epitomised this. He endured a particularly difficult first half and was overrun by the energy of the Bees' midfield but in the second half, he gave an excellent all-round midfield display and even provided an assist for Anthony Elanga to give United the lead.

The common accusation levelled at him is that he does not specialise in any one particular area. He does not fit the defensive destroyer mould, nor does he rank among the categories of a deep-lying playmaker or a goalscoring midfielder. But the Southampton game marked out why he has a role to play under Rangnick.

The area where United lost control