Manchester United have found their solution for the right-back department following the resurgence of Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
The 25-year-old was out-of-favour under manager Erik ten Hag before the World Cup and he made just one substitute appearance for four minutes.
There were claims that Wan-Bissaka could be offloaded in January, but the scenario now looks different with his superb run of form in recent weeks.
Dalot’s injury at the World Cup paved the way for Wan-Bissaka to become a regular under Ten Hag and he has certainly made the most of his chances.
The former Crystal Palace graduate had a terrific start against Burnley in the Carabao Cup where he delivered a stunning sliding assist for Christian Eriksen’s goal.
Wan-Bissaka has not made another goal contribution, but he has put in some solid defensive displays. Yesterday’s derby showing was probably one of his best.
The right-back won all seven of his ground duels attempted while winning four tackles. Offensively, he completed 100% of his long balls (2/2) and take-ons (3/3).
In our view, he was an unsung hero in the derby win. The €18 million-rated star almost had the perfect game. The only drawback was his failure to spot Jack Grealish’s run for City’s goal.
United have been regularly linked with right-back options in recent months and the trend has continued in January with claims that they want to sign Celtic’s Josip Juranovic.
Wan-Bissaka still has room for improvement with his offensive play, but United should keep him until the summer to assess whether he can get better under Ten Hag’s guidance.
Dalot should be the regular starter for United when fit, but Wan-Bissaka is a quality deputy to have in the squad. The club already have an answer for their problematic position.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com and SofaScore.com