Manchester United have unexpectedly found a new key player

Patrick Dorgu found form after the arrival of Michael Carrick but he has missed Man United’s last six games through injury.

When a player is out injured, one of two things usually happens: either a teammate takes their chance and displaces them in the starting XI, or everyone begins to realise just how important the injured player really is.

Patrick Dorgu arrived at Old Trafford in January 2025. The Denmark international was signed to help the transition to a 3-4-2-1 formation, and while he was better suited to left wing-back than Luke Shaw, he still didn’t look great.

Strangely, it was under Ruben Amorim’s watch that we saw how Dorgu could have a future at United. On Boxing Day, the 21-year-old was moved to the right wing due to Bryan Mbeumo and Amad’s involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations, as Amorim tweaked his formation. Dorgu didn’t just fill in on the right, he excelled.

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He scored his first goal for the club that night, a stunning effort to beat Newcastle, but that was merely a taster. Upon Amorim’s exit, Dorgu was again moved into attack. He bagged an assist at Burnley before two key goals against Manchester City and Arsenal.

Unfortunately for Dorgu, his momentum was curtailed at the Emirates Stadium. He was forced off with what initially seemed to be a minor issue, only for Michael Carrick to confirm his hamstring injury would keep him out for a lengthy period.

In his absence, Matheus Cunha stepped in and he scored the winner at Arsenal, following it up a week later with a strike against Fulham. But he has not scored since and United are starting to see some issues with Cunha on the wing. The Brazil international is always looking to cut inside, unsurprisingly considering he prefers to play centrally.

“My favourite position is to be on the pitch and help my team of course,” he said during the November international break. “Right now in Brazil, I have a different job to come a little bit and help the team in the build-up and attack as a striker. I feel fine playing as a false nine, exactly, this kind of participation in the build-up and get on the ball more.”

But his desire to come inside has caused problems, and it’s tough to see who else could play on the left. Carrick has said Amad can play there, but he has only played the role a handful of times during his career.

Carrick recently stressed United have ‘very good options’ across the frontline but conceded a left winger will be on the club’s radar in the summer transfer window. It is understood RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande is an option but, realistically, United will need Champions League football to sign him.

While United wait for the transfer window to open, Dorgu’s stock continues to rise.

At St James’ Park this week, United only had Amad and Joshua Zirkzee on the bench to offer an attacking threat. There was no alternative attacking replacement on the left.

If you had said at the beginning of the season that United would look weaker without Dorgu, plenty would have questioned how you came to that conclusion. But it’s true, and the sooner he is back, the better.