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Manchester United kicked off their campaign on a high after the homecoming of their favorite son Cristiano Ronaldo. The Red Devils started off well, but a dip during the mid-season led to the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
Solskjær's exit paved the way for the highly experienced Ralf Rangnick to take charge. Even though the club saw some rise in team morale, the flow of positive results wasn't constant. The 20-time EPL champions now stand 6th in the table with 50 points and one game played extra than fourth-placed Arsenal, who have 54 points.
Their exit at the hands of Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 added to their misery. The club has tried every possible permutation and combination to achieve the desired results. This also meant many Manchester United players getting an opportunity to prove themselves in the eyes of the manager.
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Talking about players who got an opportunity, let's take a look at those ones who have played the least number of minutes for Manchester United, so far, this season.
5. Juan Mata - 177
The 33-year-old talented midfielder from Spain was the backbone of Manchester United's midfield shortly after his arrival in 2014. The next two years saw Juan Mata being of high service to the club.
The former Chelsea maestro played at least 35 games across all competitions up until the 2017-18 season. He played 32 and 37 games across all competitions in the 2018-19 and the 2019-20 seasons respectively. However, following the 2019-20 season, Mata's appearances kept reducing in numbers.
The current season saw him playing just 177 minutes across all competitions. Most of which came during Manchester United's Champions League group stage fixtures.
4. Daniel James - 128
Daniel James was looking good with Ole's Man United but he had to be sacrificed in order to accommodate Cristiano Ronaldo. For a moment, it looked like the Welsh forward had a bright Manchester United future ahead of him. But as of now, he has to face a roadblock.
The 2019-20 season saw James donning the iconic red shirt in 46 games across all competitions. The following season, he featured in 26 games across all competitions for Manchester United.
A fine performance in Manchester United's pre-season helped James achieve a permanent spot in the Red Devils' squad this season. He even started in a couple of games for the club before being off-loaded to Leeds United.
He has joined Leeds on a five-year deal and continues to be a prominent part of the team.
3. Phil Jones - 120
Phil Jones has featured in two games for Manchester United so far this season. Unfortunately, the team ended up on the losing side on both occasions. Jones' first came against Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he played a game after 707 days!
He was impressive in training, as per United's newly appointed coach Ralf Rangnick, who, at the time, completed a seven-game unbeaten run across all competitions. Rangnick's experimental changes saw Raphael Varane and Jones being the only two changes from an unbeaten side in the club's past games.
Needless to say, despite putting in his best efforts, Phil Jones' comeback ended on a bitter note. Jones' next appearance was against Middlesbrough in United's FA Cup round 4 clash. The defender was introduced in the 91st minute replacing Varane.
Despite holding the fort until the final whistle, Jones and United saw the exit doors after the penalty shootout. Since then, Jones has not played any games for the club.
2. Amad Diallo - 68
Amad Diallo seemed to be a valuable asset during Ole's reign. The former United boss was strengthening his side's youth setup and Diallo was a major part of it.
The Ivory Coast international got a nod from interim coach Ralf Rangnick ahead of Manchester United's group stage fixture against BSC Young Boys. He played 68 minutes before making way for Shola Shoretire.
The game ended in a 1-1 draw and Rangnick's men advanced to the next round. However, for Amad Diallo, it was the end of his United playing days this term.
Diallo joined Scottish side Rangers as a loanee. The deal would keep him at Rangers until the end of this season.
1. Tom Heaton - 22
Tom Heaton is one of those unfortunate players who has immense talent but could never put it to use due to the presence of established seniors in the squad. The talented goalkeeper is a product of Manchester United's academy. Heaton has spent the majority of his tenure away from his parent club as a loanee.
At Burnley, Heaton earned quite a reputation before signing for the newly promoted Aston Villa in August 2019. Heaton had a fine start with his new club but a serious knee injury kept him sidelined for the rest of the season. Villa then signed Emiliano Martinez from Arsenal.
Heaton returned to Old Trafford after 11 long years and played his only game this season against the BSC Young Boys. He replaced Dean Henderson in the 68th minute.
