Manchester United are welcoming back the 15 players who jetted off around the globe for October’s international break.
While they were gone, Erik ten Hag’s side came out on top of a behind-closed-doors friendly against Barnsley, boosting their preparation for Saturday’s Premier League return against Sheffield United.
Here’s a look back at United’s winners and losers from the October break.
Whether he’s playing on the right or on the left of Portugal’s defence, Diogo Dalot continues to impress on the international stage.
Portugal’s perfect Euro 2024 qualifying campaign continued with victories over both Slovakia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, with Dalot playing 90 minutes in both games.
United fans were watching through their fingers at times, given Dalot is the only fit full-back on the books at Old Trafford these days, but the 24-year-old looks ready to handle the pressure.
Andre Onana could have done with two comfortable results during this international break to rebuild the confidence which appears to have been shattered by a miserable run of form at club level.
Unfortunately, he didn’t exactly get it.
Onana was benched as Cameroon fell 1-0 to Russia in a friendly, before his return to the starting lineup brought another 1-0 defeat at the hands of Senegal.
Another who needed a calm international break, Harry Maguire will return to United feeling good about his outing against Italy.
Maguire retained Gareth Southgate’s faith for the big Euro qualifier against Italy and, after a nervy start to the game, quickly regained his composure and did a solid job of keeping the European champions at bay.
He’s a competent defender who did a job when called upon, adding a bump to his impressive win percentage in the process.
United fans and rivals alike are beginning to put Casemiro under the microscope this season, expressing concerns over the veteran midfielder’s ability to perform at the highest level at 31 years of age.
Casemiro did himself no favours this month. He captained Brazil in a 1-1 draw with Venezuela before a particularly disappointing outing in a 2-0 loss to Uruguay which had a large number of Brazil fans calling for him to drop to the bench.
Brazilian media have described the Uruguay loss as one of the team’s worst performances in years, so Casemiro is clearly not solely at fault, but there’s no denying his miserable 2023/24 campaign has continued.
In the same Portugal team as Dalot, Bruno Fernandes used the October break to remind the world that he is among the finest players in his position right now.
He racked up two crucial assists to inspire a 3-2 victory over Slovakia before getting in on the goalscoring fun as Portugal put five past Bosnia. Fernandes now sits on five goals and seven assists in just eight games in Euro qualification.
The 29-year-old is clearly feeling himself right now, and United fans will be desperate to see that sort of form carry back over to club level.
A victim of his own high standards and some questionable officiating, Scott McTominay had a mixed international break.
After seeing a glorious goal against Spain controversially chalked off, McTominay and Scotland fell to a defeat which left them waiting to seal their spot in Euro 2024 – results elsewhere saw them qualify without even playing a day later.
Scotland turned their attention to friendly action against France to bring the break to a close and McTominay played 90 minutes in a 4-1 loss.
Last season’s goalscoring heroics have deserted Marcus Rashford this year but, with Jack Grealish not at full fitness, the United man had the chance to prove himself against Italy.
While it wasn’t his most emphatic performance, Rashford left his mark with an excellent goal that served as a reminder that, on his day, he can be one of the best finishers in the game.
Rashford has just one Premier League goal to his name so far this season, but fans will hope that is about to change.
Rasmus Hojlund’s prolific start to life with the Denmark continued as he bagged a goal and an assist across his side’s two games, and yet the striker will be returning to his club feeling a little worse for wear.
Hojlund publicly called out San Marino for their rough approach to marking him, admitting a knee to the back has left him worried about aggravating the injury he was carrying when he first arrived at Old Trafford.
United cannot afford to lose someone of his importance. All eyes on the medical staff.
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