Scott McTominay sees Man United resurgence put to the ultimate test as 'race against time' could decide his future

Scott McTominay will find out this weekend whether Erik ten Hag sees his recent Manchester United resurgence as more than just a flash in the pan.

McTominay has established himself as a Scotland hero on the international scene this season, but at club level, he's mostly been limited to scraps off the bench. He'd started just two of their first seven league games, playing less than ten minutes across the five he didn't start. He was an 87th minute sub against Brentford three weeks ago, but single-handedly won them the game with an explosive double that turned the game on its head.

That appeared to shake something loose in Ten Hag's mind as McTominay has started both of their games since, scoring the opener against Sheffield United before playing 90 minutes for only the second time this season against Copenhagen. This weekend though the standard ramps up a gear as rivals Manchester City come to town.

McTominay's recent reinstatement has come against the backdrop of Casemiro's injury and Ten Hag admitted ahead of the Old Trafford derby that the Brazilian is touch and go. He said: "Case is a race against the clock. He is not 100 per cent."

What he decides to do with Casemiro then can be taken as a clear indicator on what he really thinks of McTominay. Were he to drop out after back-to-back clutch performances in the league for a man Ten Hag admits isn't fully fit, then the writing may just be on the wall.

Longer-term his future remains up in the air and with the January window approaching, there are already fresh rumbles he could be on the move. A new report from The Athletic says he's one of four options they are considering as a replacement for Sandro Tonali, who is set to miss ten months of action due to a suspension