When can Wout Weghorst make his Man Utd debut?
For the second January in a row, the confident and controversial Wout Weghorst has arrived in the Premier League.
In 2022, Burnley broke their transfer record to lure Weghorst away from Wolfsburg, installing the towering figure at the tip of their attack as the Clarets steeled themselves for a relegation battle.
Despite a bright start to life at Turf Moor - including a carefully weighted assist against against Manchester United of all teams - Weghorst got more yellow cards than goals (three bookings and two strikes) as Burnley slipped into the second tier.
Undeterred by his Premier League history, Manchester United have managed to untangle Weghorst from his loan deal with Besiktas to borrow him from Burnley for the rest of the season. Here's when and where the 30-year-old striker could make his debut for the Red Devils.
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When can Wout Weghorst make his Man Utd debut?
Manchester United weren't able to secure Weghorst's services until Friday evening, ensuring that he was unavailable for selection in Saturday's Manchester derby. Weghorst watched on from the Old Trafford stands as Erik ten Hag's side managed to mount an improbable comeback, netting two goals in the final 12 minutes to move third in the table.
Weghorst could make his second Premier League debut - for a club in dramatically differing circumstances to the dire scenes which greeted him in Burnley - as soon as Wednesday evening. Manchester United travel to Selhurst Park in midweek to face Patrick Vieira's Crystal Palace.
After nine consecutive victories across all competitions, Ten Hag doesn't necessarily need to shake up his setup. However, the Dutch coach believes that his compatriot - who also hails from the Twente region - will complement his side's frontline, offering United an alternative to the more fleet-footed talents of Anthony Martial or the royally in-form Marcus Rashford.
"I think in the balance of the offensive [players], he really fits in," Ten Hag explained. "I am really happy, and I don't think we had the type what he is."
If Weghorst doesn't make his bow against Palace, Ten Hag could spin the wheel of his attacking options in a lofty clash with league-leading Arsenal next Sunday.
On this edition of TPL, Scott Saunders & Rob Blanchette discuss how to solve Man Utd's issue at centre-forward & Ten Hag's striker plans. The guys talk Wout Weghorst, the fact João Felix is no longer on the market, Victor Osimhen, Harry Kane, Benjamin Sesko & more! If you can’t see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!