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7 Manchester United Players Who Are Fighting for Their Futures in Rest of Season

Manchester United's season was supposed to be one of consolidation on the initial progress that manager Louis van Gaal had made.

Instead it has been a story of regression as the Red Devils failed to progress through the UEFA Champions League group stage, lost in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 and will have to muster up some previously unseen consistency in order to finish in the top four of the Premier League.

Much of this must rest squarely on the shoulders of the manager, but there are a number of players in the squad whose suitability for the current United side is unclear.

That is not the only reason these seven players are fighting for their futures, though. Some have faced one too many injuries, some have been mishandled by Van Gaal and some are just reaching the end of what has been a wonderful United career.

Let's take a look at the players for whom the rest of the season could be vital—starting with a few who narrowly missed out on a place in the list.

Near-Misses



All of the following could have been included but narrowly miss out.

Memphis Depay

The Sun have been reported that Memphis Depay could leave United this summer. However, it would be overly hasty on the club's part, given it is his first season in a new environment. Either the reports are true, in which case it seems unlikely the club's hierarchy will change its mind between now and then, or they are not, in which case logic will prevail and Memphis will remain a Red Devil.

Bastian Schweinsteiger

His latest injury means he will be out for the season, and presumably United did not bring him to the side for just one campaign. He will surely be around for the start of the 2016/17 campaign in spite of his struggles in his first season in England.

Marcos Rojo

Rojo has had an injury-ravaged season, and his form has dipped considerably. However, his versatility provides important cover, and thus he is likely to stick around.

Matteo Darmian

Darmian has struggled to make a consistent impact, especially in terms of the attacking parts of his role. However, giving him a second season to bed in seems sensible and, like Rojo, he can cover a number of positions.

Antonio Valencia

Another player who has missed a lot of this season through injury, Valencia has been popular with three United managers in a row, though it is sometimes hard to understand why. If Van Gaal stays, Valencia will surely stay, and the rest of this season is unlikely to make much difference to any new manager's opinion of him.

Michael Carrick





When Michael Carrick was asked about his United future in February he said, per PA Sport (h/t Sky Sports):

[quote] I don't know, to be honest. I don't expect to play every game—this week the run of games we've had to play would be a big ask for me.

I've probably played 25, 26, 27 games or something so far, so it's not bad.

I want to play every game because you're used to playing most games, but it's just how it is.

I'm just enjoying playing at the moment. How long is it going to last? When you get to this stage, you don't know, so I am just trying to enjoy it for what it is and see where that takes me.[quote]

His contract expires in the summer, and the possibility of him moving away for a swansong elsewhere must surely exist. Last year he extended his contract on March 20, per the club's website, but as yet nothing has been announced about a further extension, in spite of that date having come and gone in 2016.

If he proves himself invaluable between now and May, perhaps that could convince the powers that be to keep him in situ for a further season.

Phil Jones





Phil Jones is still only 24, and the possibility still exists that he can have the bright future his potential seemed to promise.

However, this time around he has played just 529 minutes of league football, in another injury-hit season. He missed 15 games with three separate instances of injury in 2014/15, which seemed like quite a lot.

This season, he has missed 36. Understandably, his development has been hampered by all these injuries, and it seems a good bet that he will be moved on come season's end, unless he can somehow find the best of himself between now and then.

Marouane Fellaini





Marouane Fellaini is a deeply unpopular figure among United fans. While it is abundantly clear that deep-lying midfield is not the role for him, there is some value to keeping him in the squad as an attacking battering ram.

However, he will have to have a storming end to the campaign to justify him remaining at Old Trafford as a central figure. Time and again he has failed to deliver this season—albeit much of the responsibility for that sits with Van Gaal's decision to deploy him away from his best position.

Unless he is happy to remain a peripheral squad player, then he really will have to excel between now and season's end to show he deserves his place in United's squad.

Adnan Januzaj





Adnan Januzaj's United career—and by extension his entire football career—has stalled this season. An unsuccessful loan spell at Borussia Dortmund ended in January, but his return to Manchester has seen him reduced to occasional cameos.

There seems little chance of him convincing Van Gaal of his merits—he has failed to do that in nearly two seasons of working with the Dutchman. However, if he can show a few glimpses of the promise he displayed when he broke through under David Moyes, he might have a chance at persuading any incoming manager of his worth to the rebuilding project they will surely undertake.

Paddy McNair





In an interview with Steven Beacom of the Belfast Telegraph, Paddy McNair laid out his aims for the rest of the season, saying:

[quote] I've had a lot of injuries this season which haven't helped so my aim is to keep working hard at the club and get as many matches as I can until the end of the season.

We have Everton on Sunday and if I'm involved that would be great. I really want to keep my fitness up for the Euros and go into that tournament feeling confident.[quote]

In truth it is hard to see McNair getting a great deal of first-team action between now and the end of the season, unless his fellow defenders succumb to injuries of their own. McNair's emergence last season showed a good deal of promise, but he has been unable to build on that this time out.

An important few months lie ahead for the Northern Ireland international.

Will Keane



Will Keane's injury against Shrewsbury Town led to the emergence of Marcus Rashford as a first-team force. It was typical of the appalling luck that Keane has faced since his emergence as a highly promising young talent in United's academy.

With so many players between him and a starting berth, finding a way to impress will be a huge challenge, but it may be Keane's last chance to salvage an Old Trafford future for himself.

Andreas Pereira



Andreas Pereira's lack of first-team action remains one of the quirks of this season. In a campaign in which Van Gaal has gambled on youth over and over again, he has only very occasionally turned to the talented Pereira.

It may not just be that Peirera needs to impress United, rather the other way around, as Scott Patterson observed for uMAXit Football. Patterson writes:

The likelihood of Van Gaal leaving in the summer, a year before his contract expires, is fairly high, which should mean Pereira is given greater opportunities next season. The only problem with this plan is that if the next manager is Jose Mourinho, someone who isn’t famed for promoting youth or being a fan of tricky, attacking players, Pereira may well be forced to find a club that will allow him to develop in to the top class player he could be.

Pereira should have done enough in his cameo appearances for the first team to impress the powers that be at United. But in truth, it is now up to those powers to impress upon Pereira that his future lies at Old Trafford.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2627551-7-manchester-united-players-who-are-fighting-for-their-futures-in-rest-of-season