Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has decided that captain Bruno Fernandes and summer signing Mason Mount can’t play in the same midfield, according to club legend Paul Scholes.

Speaking on the Webby and O’Neill YouTube channel, Scholes said that ten Hag wanted to pair the two players together but the Dutchman has already realised the error of his ways:

“I think he’d play where Bruno Fernandes plays. I think the manager signed him as an attacking midfield player. But it upsets the balance of the team and upsets the legs he has in midfield. I really think he wanted to play him with Fernandes but the two of them playing in the team, it just doesn’t seem to be working now.”

“It’s difficult to make a case for Mason because he’s not played enough games, so trying to come on here and say ‘he should be playing’, I don’t know, because he hasn’t played. If he has a run of five, six, seven, eight games you can judge that a little bit more.”

Ten Hag may have made an expensive mistake

Considering that United splashed out an initial £55m to bring in Mount from Chelsea in the summer, it is rather surprising to see him warming the bench this early into his Old Trafford career.

Scholes’ remarks do highlight a possible reason for the midfielder’s lack of game time. There is no way he will be able to displace Fernandes in the team, though, so you do wonder how Mount will be deployed in the future.

Could United play Mount further up the pitch?

During his time at Chelsea, Mount often played as part of a front three so there is scope for using him as a winger, especially with both Marcus Rashford and Antony struggling for form.

Ten Hag may have not brought the 24-year-old to United to play in those positions but it may be something that he is forced into trying.

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