'I admire the player'... Erik ten Hag now admits he really rates 23-year-old Chelsea

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has now admitted that his side had a plan to deal with one Chelsea player at Old Trafford last night who he really rates.

He said in his post-match interview with Amazon Prime Video that he deployed Scott McTominay to defend and press Enzo Fernandez in his side’s 2-1 win over the Blues last night.

Fernandez had one of his poorest games in a Chelsea shirt last night as he struggled big time in the middle of the park.

Manchester United v Chelsea FC - Premier League

He gave away a penalty just minutes into the game, and even though the effort was saved by Robert Sanchez it was a sign of things to come.

Ten Hag has now admitted that he certainly had a plan to deal with the World Cup winner last night, after acknowledging his talents.

He said: “He had a very important role. Fernandez, I admire the player. He had an important role to pick him up, to defend him, to press him.

Ten Hag rates Fernandez

“But also in possession to take benefit from his back and he did that several times. And several times he put us in very good scoring positions.”

The 23-year-old was coming into last night off the back of his first and second goals for the club in the hard-fought win against Brighton.

Playing with 10 men for the majority of that game, it has been claimed by Mauricio Pochettino that this may have had an effect on his starting players who were back in action just three days’ later.

Either way, it is almost certain that Fernandez will remain in the starting side when Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Everton comes around, with a chance to return to winning ways.