Donny van de Beek: Are the Dutchman's days at Manchester United numbered?

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Donny van de Beek: Are the Dutchman's days at Manchester United numbered?

Donny van de Beek: Are the Dutchman's days at Manchester United numbered?

Donny van de Beek: Are the Dutchman's days at Manchester United numbered?

As his team-mates jet off around the globe on international duty, Donny van de Beek remains at Manchester United's Carrington training complex having seen his desperate struggle for game-time at club level transfer to his country.

International call-ups have often provided Van de Beek refuge from his troublesome start to life at Old Trafford but, having been robbed of a place at Euro 2020 through injury, this latest snub means he hasn't featured for his country since scoring in March's 7-0 thrashing of Gibraltar.

Van Gaal's omission comes amid a backdrop of routine overlooking at club level, with Van de Beek featuring in just three of United's 10 matches in all competition this season and facing intense competition for places following the returns of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jesse Lingard.

His two starts have come in somewhat makeshift line-ups and have coincided with two of United's three defeats this season, against Young Boys in the Champions League and West Ham in the Carabao Cup.

Players are rightfully given time to adjust to new surroundings but, in the case of Van de Beek, that grace period is coming to an end, if it hasn't already, and player, manager, and club appear are at a loss where to turn next.

But for the exception of a goal on his Premier League debut - which was overshadowed by defeat to Crystal Palace in United's first game of the 2020/21 season - and the odd glimmer of potential, Van de Beek's transfer is one which promised so much but continues to deliver so little.

In many eyes Van de Beek was the standout player in the famous Ajax squad which lit up the Champions League on route to the semi-finals in 2018/19 but, having been a crucial component in Erik ten Hag's side, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has not afforded him the same luxury.

In early September, Van de Beek broke his silence on his unsuccessful adaptation to life in Manchester and took the opportunity to reaffirm his faith in his manager.

"I need to trust him," the Dutchman told Rio Ferdinand's Vibe with Five podcast. "If he doesn't need me, I think he will let me go. I think he has plans for me, I just need to work hard, and hope one day I can show the people what I can do.

"You can never promise a player if he will play or not, but I agree that I have to play more. You can train hard every day but, in the end, you need game time to show your best shape. If you play once in a month you can't show your best."

Van de Beek's three appearances for United this season followed in the subsequent weeks but his failure to leave a lasting impression, or Solskjaer's inability to get a tune out of the player, spelled the beginning of more time on the sidelines.

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