Manchester United's most important player is about to return

Following back-to-back Premier League defeats to Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool, Manchester United are already under pressure to get back on track following the international break.

Last weekend's 3-0 defeat at the hands of Arne Slot's troops was a stark reminder of how much work United are going to have to put in to establish themselves as genuine top four contenders.

The post-match headlines, unsurprisingly, were all about Casemiro's two errors that led to Luis Diaz's first-half double. He was at fault for both goals and with Manuel Ugarte sat watching in the stands all the post-match chat was always going to be about him.

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However, Casemiro was not solely to blame for United's seventh Premier League home defeat since the start of last season. Again, the Reds were disjointed from back to front, looking bereft of an identity and a recognised style of play.

While there is no doubt United's midfield remains an issue, their attacking output is already proving a cause for concern, highlighted by the fact they are massively falling short of their xG (expected goals) tally.

United's opening three Premier League matches this season have yielded an xG tally, according to data specialists FotMob, of 5.2, giving them the fifth-highest xG in the top flight. Only Manchester City (7.1), Liverpool (7.1), Bournemouth (5.8) and Brighton (5.3) have recorded a higher xG so far.

For context, City have scored nine goals, Liverpool have plundered seven, Bournemouth have scored five and Brighton have scored six. United have scored just twice.

United have recorded 33 shots in their opening three