Manchester United have been handed unexpected opportunity to unleash £105m partnership

It was far from Manchester United's biggest problem on Sunday, but it was there lurking under the surface once again. Erik ten Hag diagnosed an issue in front of goal as being the major issue for his team last Thursday and if he's clutching at straws, at least nobody was talking about that after the 3-0 defeat to Tottenham.

There were more pressing problems after that shocking collapse but it was another day when United drew a blank in front of goal. Their chances of scoring were damaged by the sending off of Bruno Fernandes but Joshua Zirkzee had already missed a good chance to level the scores.

Those freewheeling 180 minutes against Southampton and Barnsley already feel like a long time ago. United filled their boots against the worst team in the Premier League and a third-tier outfit. In their other seven games this season they have scored just four goals.

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That is a desperate record and one that has to improve, whoever the manager is. For now, it remains Erik ten Hag and he really needs results at Porto and Aston Villa to survive the October international break.

On the evidence of this season United struggle to score goals against decent sides and Porto and Villa fit that description. The dam has to break if they are to get a result in either game.

It will be interesting to see what sort of changes Ten Hag makes in Porto but with Fernandes now banned for three Premier League games the captain will clearly start in the Europa League. Amad could make back in and maybe Rasmus Hojlund will get his first start of the campaign.

The real intrigue will be in how United set up