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Soccer works in mysterious ways. As more and more stories emerged about Dean Henderson taking another loan from Old Trafford in January, he might have the opportunity he’s been waiting for.
There is a chance the 23-year-old is set to line up in the biggest game of his career so far when Manchester United take on Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League clash on Wednesday.
Of course, it all depends on the severity of the blow David de Gea took just above the knee when he crashed into the post desperately trying to avoid a James Ward-Prowse free kick on Sunday.
The Spaniard is scheduled for a scan on Monday and both he and Henderson will face eager wait for the result.
But if De Gea is ruled out of Wednesday night’s game at Old Trafford, Henderson will have a long-awaited opportunity to impress and prove that he is United’s rightful number one.
Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and company will undoubtedly keep him busier than Southampton in the second half on Sunday, after Henderson replaced De Gea at halftime for his United Premier League debut.
Aside from a couple of early stops, Henderson was little more than an excited spectator as United launched into one of those comebacks they never say used to be their hallmark.
When Edinson Cavani made it 2-2 and then headed in his goal in the 92nd minute, Henderson was seen leaping in celebration on the other side. Later, he took to Twitter and described the comeback as “the united style.”
But what observers inside the stadium and those watching television at home noticed was how vocal Henderson was during the second half.
The loudest player in United’s colors was Henderson urging his teammates to keep going in search of the winner while organizing things to make sure they couldn’t get stung on the counter.
It did not go unnoticed that it was his voice, rather than that of Captain Harry Maguire or Bruno Fernandes, that resonated loudest in the empty St Mary’s Stadium.
In a season in which United have been accused of a lack of leadership on the field, it was certainly refreshing.
‘He is a goalkeeper who is used to being vocal. He wants to organize the team, ”coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said.
Those qualities will prove critical if Henderson plays PSG on Wednesday night. With the Parisians far from being secured in their place in the round of 16, United’s bottom line, which continues to look nervous, can expect to come under heavy pressure.
Henderson will have to make saves, there’s no question about that, and if he can show that he can do it in such an important game, the outlook may change.
When Henderson decided not to make a sixth loan out of United in August, signing a new contract until 2025, he was no doubt expecting a little more playing time than has materialized.
Two starts in the opening rounds of the Carabao Cup, against Luton Town and Brighton, offer little comfort in heating the bench in all Premier League matches.
Henderson started the disastrous Champions League loss to Istanbul Basaksehir, although it was his defense that was to blame for the embarrassment.
Just 270 minutes of action before his substitute start on Sunday was not quite what the English international expected at the start of the season.
Worse still, his presence seemed to have some kind of galvanizing effect on De Gea, who responded to the competition by largely eliminating the mistakes that had infected his game.
Solskjaer kept faith in the Spaniard, who has been United’s starting goalkeeper for nine seasons, in what was the most honorable thing to do.
As former United captain Roy Keane said in the Sky Sports studio on Sunday: ‘I think it helped [De Gea] that Henderson returned to the club.
I think you now have adequate competition. Every day, they can look into each other’s eyes.
“If you make too many mistakes, as many as you’ve made in recent years, you know Henderson will be there.”
Henderson was undoubtedly outspoken in the summer about how he had returned to United with the intention of evicting De Gea from his post.
It has not worked that way. But now an opportunity may arise, not because De Gea made a mistake, but because of the misfortune of an injury.
And you can’t get any illusions. Even a solid performance against PSG doesn’t make him an automatic starter for Saturday’s trip to West Ham if De Gea is back in shape.
But you can avoid suggestions that Henderson will seek a loan move in January. His concern is understandably about his place on England’s national team for next summer’s European Championships.
His teammates, goalkeepers Jordan Pickford and Nick Pope, are the first choice for Everton and Burnley, respectively, but there is really no one else in the England group of teams to take Henderson out.
The fact that Henderson made his senior debut off the bench in England’s 3-0 friendly win over the Republic of Ireland, a moment that earned his uncle £ 12,500 after he made a bet of 500 / 1 when Dean was 14, shows that he is very much into Gareth Southgate’s thinking for Euro 2020.
And even if Henderson remains the second choice after De Gea, there will be plenty of opportunities before the end of the season.
United will have a good chance of winning the Carabao Cup and Henderson should also play their FA Cup matches. If United gets the point it needs to advance to the knockout stages of the Champions League, it could also play against RB Leipzig next week.
In the meantime, if De Gea’s knee injury rules him out for Wednesday, all Henderson can do is be his usual voice and give a good account of himself against last season’s Champions League runner-up.
The rest, sooner or later, will fit perfectly in its place.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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