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30-year-old Man United superstar not guaranteed first-team place despite good form

David de Gea with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of Manchester United.
David de Gea with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of Manchester United. (imago Images)

David de Gea not guaranteed starting spot at Manchester United

According to ESPN (h/t Metro), David de Gea is not a certain starter for Manchester United this season and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has not provided the Spaniard with any assurances. 

De Gea has been the hero for United in the past couple of weeks with his impressive shot-stopping abilities. The 30-year-old first pulled out a crucial save against Southampton to earn United a point. Further, made a near-miraculous close-range save against Wolves as the Red Devils ended up picking up all three points on the day.

However, the Spaniard saved the best for last weekend when he stopped a last-minute penalty against West Ham after David Moyes brought on Mark Noble to take the spot-kick in added time. The Manchester-based club earned all three points and are now joint top of the table, with De Gea a huge reason for it. 

De Gea is not assured a place in the starting lineup this season.
De Gea is not assured of a place in the starting lineup this season. (GETTY Images)

However, it does not mean that the shot-stopper is assured of consistent game-time this season. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer apparently wants to provide his players with competition in every area and that includes the goalkeeping role. 

The Old Trafford outfit have incredible deputies in Dean Henderson and Tom Heaton, who have been apparently told that they will play some role in the club’s campaign this year, especially since United will be competing in four competitions.

In fact, Henderson could make his first start for the season against West Ham United in the Carabao Cup this week. The Englishman featured 13 times in the Premier League last season but suffered from Covid-19 earlier this summer, leading to a late return back into the first-team squad.

Henderson played 13 times in the Premier League for United last season and could provide competition to De Gea. (GETTY Images)
Henderson played 13 times in the Premier League for United last season and could provide competition to De Gea. (GETTY Images)

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Thus, De Gea will need to maintain the level he is playing at currently if he hopes to retain a starting spot under Solskjaer this season. 

Written by Varun Pai

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