The Manchester United sub that shows extent of transfer issues for Erik ten Hag and John Murtough

The absence of eight first-team players can't be overlooked at Manchester United at the moment, but the sight of Phil Jones and Juan Mata standing on the Old Trafford touchline waiting to come on against Chelsea in 2022 is the most damning indictment of the squad depth currently on show.

To give Mata and Jones the credit they deserve, they both influenced the game as substitutes for the final 11 minutes, a period when United finally got a grip of proceedings.

But on a night when Ralf Rangnick picked four teenagers on his bench, the sight of two 30-something players who will leave the club this summer waiting to come on wasn't lost on anybody. This wasn't a glimpse of the future but more akin to jumping in the DeLorean and rewinding to 2014.

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Rangnick rightly pointed out that the game was still in the balance when he made that double substitution and the quartet of Alvaro Fernandez, Hannibal Mejbri, Shola Shoretire and Alejandro Garnacho should get their chance during an easier run-in.

Seeing Jones and Mata come on was a reminder of the lack of squad depth within this group, however, an issue that is only going to be exacerbated this summer.

The challenge awaiting Erik ten Hag is to find a way to turn United into a team good enough to compete with Manchester City and Liverpool, but not only are the starting XIs at those clubs far superior to United, but they also have better options off the bench, especially for Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.

Of those eight players absent last night, three will leave this summer in Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Edinson Cavani. A fourth, in Aaron Wan-Bissaka, has rarely looked good enough for United.

Harry Maguire,