Arsenal legend Ian Wright has identified the two key Manchester United players who add “another dimension” to Erik ten Hag’s first team at Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag received a major boost ahead of the March international break after Manchester United dumped rivals Liverpool out of the FA Cup.
The Red Devils produced a stunning performance to beat Liverpool in the quarter-finals at Old Trafford, with United punching their ticket to the FA Cup semi-finals.
United boss Ten Hag wants the Premier League side to fight for the FA Cup, having fallen short of the trophy last season in a 2-1 defeat to Manchester City at Wembley.
The Red Devils will face Coventry City in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley, while Manchester City take on Chelsea in the other fixture in the competition.
Despite keeping their FA Cup hopes alive, Ten Hag still faces an uphill task in securing a top-four Premier League finish for United this season.
Wright on two important Man Utd stars
Manchester United are currently sixth in the Premier League table with 10 league matches remaining, with the Red Devils six points behind fifth-place Tottenham.
The Red Devils are nine points adrift of fourth-place Aston Villa in the race for the Premier League top four, although United have a match in hand over Unai Emery’s men.
Speaking on The Kelly and Wrighty Show, Ian Wright admitted that not all hope is lost for United and Erik ten Hag’s men could still change for the top four.
However, the Arsenal legend insisted that United have “another dimension” when defenders Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw are on the pitch for the Red Devils.
“If Man United could get someone like, if Martinez comes back in, if Luke Shaw comes back in, that brings another dimension to them, then all of a sudden you could say, well, yes, they can now build up through the back,” Wright said.
“We saw they’ve got the capability of digging in and getting it done because they’ve got the forwards with pace. [Rasmus] Hojlund is back now.
“If they can get those players [back], then you might see something different from Man United.”
Shaw and Martinez’s importance to Man Utd
United were dealt a massive blow after Lisandro Martinez was ruled out through injury after he limped off in the 3-0 Premier League win over West Ham in February.
The Red Devils said at the time that Martinez is “expected to be out of action for at least eight weeks,” with the United defender tipped to make his return next month.
The 26-year-old Argentine centre-back has been widely hailed for his influence in the United backline after his stunning £47m move from Ajax in 2022.
Martinez, who worked alongside Ten Hag at Ajax, is a key figure for the United boss and his absence is felt due to his side’s inability to play out from the back effectively.
Luke Shaw, on the other hand, could be “absent for a few months” after he was forced to come off in United’s 2-1 Premier League win over Luton Town in February.
The 28-year-old United defender is also a doubt for England’s Euro 2024 campaign, with Ten Hag desperately short of left-back options in Shaw’s absence.