When Manchester United plays Fulham in the FA Cup this weekend, they will be trying to maintain their winning streak from their 3-2 victory over Ipswich Town.
Even though Ruben Amorim’s team was reduced to 10 men for the majority of the match and fell behind 1-0 early on, they managed to defeat the Tractor Boys. The Red Devils scored three goals from set pieces.
Matthijs de Ligt gave them a 2-1 lead after Sam Morsy’s own goal gave them an equaliser. Early in the second half, Harry Maguire made it 3-2 to win the match.
Hojlund’s recent form for Manchester United
Hojlund, an international for Denmark, has had a difficult season. In 34 games, he has only tallied seven goals, and only two of his goals have come in 22 Premier League contests. He has had a lot of trouble in front of the goal.
Amorim has defended the Dane in public. “We as a team, we are not helping Rasmus,” the Portuguese manager of United stated in a recent interview. He went on to say, “We don’t create a lot of chances, we had a lack of threat,” which undoubtedly contributes to Hojlund’s play.
Furthermore, it is evident that Hojlund is a gifted player. He scored in six straight games last season, making him the youngest player in Premier League history to do so. The 22-year-old finished the season with 16 goals in all competitions after scoring seven goals during that run.
Nevertheless, a United team that appears to be lacking in creativity in front of goal must undoubtedly be concerned about Hojlund’s lack of form. Maybe a brief absence from the starting lineup will allow him to return to his peak.
If that was to be the case for the upcoming FA Cup clash against Fulham, Amorim might have the perfect replacement.
The player who could replace Hojlund at Manchester United
Right now, United is dealing with a serious injury crisis. In addition to Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount missing a significant period of time, Amad will be out until the conclusion of the season.
Christian Eriksen is now the sole senior attacking option available on the bench. Whether playing for Amorim or Erik ten Hag, the seasoned Danish international has been in and out of the lineup this season. In his 22 games, he has contributed four goals and four assists.
As Statman Dave previously put it, the “magician” would probably start as a No. 10 if he were to start against Fulham and take Hojlund’s place. With the dynamic Chido Obi-Martin still on the bench, Joshua Zirkzee, who has previously played in that position, might advance farther and play as an all-out No 9.
If Eriksen could contribute anything to United’s team, it would be the inventiveness that they may have lacked in more sophisticated areas. The former Spurs star is still a master at generating chances, as he has 17 assists in his 94 Red Devils games to date.
Eriksen has actually demonstrated his inventiveness this season. Eriksen has frequently produced many opportunities in a single game, including six against FC Porto in the Europa League, where he also recorded two assists, according to Sofascore.
| Eriksen passing stats from select games in 2024/25 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Stat | v Palace | v Porto | v Fenerbahce |
| Touches | 77 | 61 | 69 |
| Pass accuracy | 88% | 87% | 82% |
| Passes completed | 52/59 | 39/45 | 41/50 |
| Key passes | 3 | 6 | 4 |
| Big chances created | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Assists | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Stats from Sofascore | |||
Including Eriksen in the squad might help United generate more opportunities against Fulham. Of course, Hojlund might suffer, but the striker might benefit from a little time away from the team.