At the end of Manchester United’s 2-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, manager Erik ten Hag went straight over to 18-year-old Alejandro Garnacho and gave him a hug. Ten Hag is renowned for nurturing talent, and Garnacho is no doubt an exceptional one. The teenager marked his return from two months out with injury with a brilliant finish in the 94th minute at Old Trafford to secure the win. This allowed the home fans to breathe a big sigh of relief, as their side had been missing a host of chances due to the absence of their injured 16-goal striker Marcus Rashford. Victory puts Manchester United four points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool with just two wins from their final three games needed to cement a top-four finish. Ten Hag believes Garnacho can play an important role in ensuring they achieve their goal. He praised Garnacho’s performance, saying it will give him belief and confidence, and that he can have an impact.
Garnacho has had a stunning first full season at Manchester United since making his debut in April last year. He has scored five goals and provided five assists, often making a telling impact when coming off the bench. In January, he came on in the second half against Manchester City and provided the assist for Rashford to score the winner in a 2-1 victory. However, he suffered an ankle ligament injury in a draw with Southampton on 12 March that resulted in him missing United’s next 12 games.
The home fans were calling for Garnacho’s return on the pitch long before Ten Hag turned to him in the 82nd minute. Twelve minutes later, those calls were justified as Garnacho charged into space before producing a superb finish off the inside of the post. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes said of Garnacho: “To play for Manchester United you have to be special, at a young age even more. It’s really important to have him back. He can create, go on one-on-ones, score goals, create assists. It is important for us.”
Ten Hag has now challenged Garnacho to move on from being an impact sub and compete for a starting XI position. With three games of the season remaining and Champions League football within Manchester United’s reach, Garnacho has no better opportunity to step up and show he is ready to make an impact from the outset.