Manchester United have wildcard selection gamble that can improve poor form

As Cristiano Ronaldo tore his shirt off and raced to the corner of the Stretford End and Sir Alex Ferguson stand the eyes of Old Trafford were fixed on him.

Ronaldo was the hero again on a Champions League night, his late goal helping Manchester United to beat Villarreal, but the first player to catch up with him deserved to share in the accolades.

When Ronaldo has just scored the creator is rarely going to get a look-in, but Jesse Lingard had only been on the pitch for a couple of minutes when he showed he was tuned into the game quickly, poking the ball into the Portuguese's path as he fell to the ground.

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It was the third major contribution from the academy graduate in the first week of the season, following on from goals off the bench against Newcastle and, more dramatically, to win the game at West Ham.

His contribution on September 29 against Villarreal seemed to propel him closer to a start. He was one of the few in-form attackers in the United squad and had the game intelligence to link with teammates in midfield and attack, potentially bringing cohesion to a disjointed team.

So the fact Lingard has started only two games since - one of them the most meaningless of the season against Young Boys - is one of the truly baffling elements of a season full of chin-stroking oddity from United.

The 29-year-old will leave at the end of the season and is clearly unhappy at the way he's been treated by United, the final straw arriving in January as his attempts to leave on loan were blocked. You can understand his frustration when he's been ignored by two managers this season despite those starting in front of him being rewarded time and