The Man United boss has been cautious not to overload the winger with too much game time so early on, which has brought praise from one ex-defender.

Erik ten Hag has shown his trust in Garnacho this season (Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)

Erik ten Hag has been told he is using Alejandro Garnacho in the most effective way by carefully managing his game time since his first-team breakthrough at Manchester United.

Ahead of the Manchester City game, the 18-year-old amassed 14 appearances this season, of which six have been starts. He managed to rack up two goals and four assists in that time, which included the stoppage-time winner against Fulham just before the World Cup break.

The Argentine, who arrived from Atletico Madrid’s youth set-up in 2020, is tipped to enjoy a big future and United are working on a new contract for the teenager less than three months after making his full senior debut.

Garnacho has carried on his form after the mid-season break, grabbing an assist against Bournemouth and winning the penalty that allowed top scorer Marcus Rashford to fire home in the 3-1 FA Cup Third Round win over Everton.

The attacker has only started one Premier League game since the pause, albeit began the League Cup wins over Burnley and Charlton. Former United defender Wes Brown says Ten Hag is utilising Garnacho in the best way possible as he tries to balance talent with youth.

Brown believes Garnacho will rack up a substantial amount of games for Untied but his development needs to be managed well. Speaking to the Busby Babe Podcast, he said: “What he’s doing with Garnacho is absolutely perfect.

“He’s not given him too much time at the moment – because he is flying – but just giving him the right amount of time to keep his feet on the ground but he is an exceptional young player. Who will play many times for Manchester United.”

Source: dailylifeworld.com