Three Things Manchester United Should Expect From Marcel Sabitzer

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Bayern Munich's Marcel Sabitzer celebrates scoring their fourth goal.

REUTERS/Heiko Becker

Manchester United are on the cusp of seeing their first-ever Austrian signing ply his trade on the field when they face off against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Erik ten Hag has confirmed that Marcel Sabitzer could be part of the matchday squad. As such, many supporters could finally have the answer to just how good of a player the Bayern Munich loanee is and what he could add to the squad.

Here is what they could expect from the 28-year-old:

1. Dynamic Box-to-Box Midfielder

Sabitzer’s primary role is to fulfil the gap left by Christian Eriksen’s injury. In this regard, the Austrian could actually one-up the Dane in a particular role. Due to accumulating game-time, the former Tottenham star often used to be overrun, particularly in the second half.

As such, Sabitzer will bring some much-needed dynamism into the United midfield. In particular, Old Trafford may see some excellent counter-attacking skills on display, as he is also adept at counter-pressing – a feat Ten Hag has been long trying to perfect at the club.

 

2. A Striker of the Ball

If Casemiro’s excellent brace from earlier has taught us anything, there is always a hungry striker waiting latent inside a midfielder.

In Sabitzer, the United faithful could expect a similar feat as the midfielder is used to getting into the box and attempting to strike the ball on his own, although his goal-tally has dropped since 2020.

Of better interest is his potential for switching balls which could feed well into the likes of Antony.

 

3. Versatile Midfielder

One of the things United have often boasted about but never dabbled with is the potential of having players who are truly versatile and can be rotated.

In Sabitzer, if Ten Hag chooses to, there lies a versatile player who can be deployed at multiple spots. The player functions well at CAM and on the left flank and could be vital when making game-changing substitutes.

More importantly, the lack of specialists owing to unreliable squad depth could benefit from the 28-year-old’s introduction.

 

All in all, this loan signing has all the possibility of adding to the excitement which the Red Devils have been excelling at as of recent.