Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen returning from injury is a ‘massive’ boost for Erik Ten Hag, journalist Dean Jones has informed GIVEMESPORT.
The 31-year-old has been a key player for the Dutchman since joining from Brentford on a free transfer last summer, though he has only recently returned to first-team action following a period on the sidelines.
Manchester United latest news – Christian Eriksen
Last weekend, Eriksen made his long-awaited return to the field for Manchester United after recovering from injury, featuring for the last 13 minutes of their 2-0 victory over Everton in the Premier League at Old Trafford, as per BBC Sport.
In late January, the Denmark international sustained an ankle knock in the Red Devils’ 3-1 win over Reading in the FA Cup fifth round at home and he now has made his comeback ahead of schedule.
Across 2022/23, Eriksen has racked up 32 appearances in all competitions for Manchester United, registering two goals and nine assists, as per Transfermarkt.
The £170k-a-week ace will now hope to be in contention for his side’s upcoming fixtures, starting with their Europa League quarter-final first-leg tie against Sevilla on Thursday.
What has Dean Jones said about Christian Eriksen?
Journalist Jones thinks that Eriksen returning from injury will give his boss Ten Hag a huge boost heading into the remainder of this term.
Jones told GMS: “It’s massive to have Eriksen back; he only got 15 minutes against Everton at the weekend, but just having him back into the picture will change the whole outlook for Manchester United both on and off the pitch.”
How important is Christian Eriksen returning from injury for Manchester United?
Eriksen is a significant part of Ten Hag’s tactical framework at Manchester United and both club personnel and the Old Trafford faithful will be delighted to see him back in the picture.
The 31-year-old has faired well in comparison to his positional peers this campaign and is in the top 1% of midfielders for assists across Europe’s top five leagues, managing an average of 0.44 per 90 minutes over the last 365 days, as shown on FBRef.
Manchester United have also been able to effectively utilise their squad depth to cater for his absence, with the likes of Marcel Sabitzer, Fred, Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro all being able to step in to fill the void left by the Danish playmaker.
Nevertheless, having Eriksen back fit and healthy can only bode well for the Old Trafford outfit, who will be looking to finish this season as strongly as possible.
