Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot told he might not be 'good enough' for big games

Former Manchester United star Paul Scholes has questioned whether Diogo Dalot is 'good enough' to handle the big occasions.

The right-back, who pulled out of the Portugal squad earlier this week due to personal reasons, has experienced an up-and-down 2023, often struggling for consistency. He has frequently shared the right-back spot with Aaron Wan-Bissaka and has recently been deployed as a left-back.

Rewind 12 months, however, and Dalot was one of the very first names on the teamsheet. He made an exemplary start to the Erik ten Hag era, producing a series of impressive performances ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

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Following the showpiece event in Qatar, however, Dalot has not been the same, failing to perform at levels similar to the ones he hit prior to the World Cup. Wan-Bissaka, from nowhere, has seen his United career resurrected this calendar year, so much so that he now appears to have moved ahead of the former AC Milan loanee in the pecking order.

And former Reds midfielder Scholes has doubts about whether Dalot is mentally strong enough when it comes to the big games.

Scholes told the Webby & O'Neill YouTube channel: "I'm not sure if the right-back's good enough, Dalot, when it comes to the big games. I'm not sure his character is big enough to handle the big games.

"Wan-Bissaka can do it defensively, not a problem. Going forward he has improved, don't get me wrong, I just think the balance of the team has been a little bit wrong."

United are poised to target the addition of a new first-choice right-back in 2024. Dalot and Wan-Bissaka