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David de Gea’s status as Manchester United’s undisputed number one is seriously threatened after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told him to take a break in Spain.
In what could be Solskjaer’s first move to replace De Gea, Dean Henderson has six games to stake his claim and will be in goal for Sunday’s Manchester derby at the Etihad.
De Gea has returned to Spain with personal permission to be with fellow pop star Edurne García, who is expecting her first child.
Sportsmail understands that Solskjaer has decided it would be best if the 30-year-old stays with his family until after the international break later this month, even though De Gea would prefer to continue playing. The move gives Henderson a clear run in the No. 1 jersey and signals a dramatic turn in his bid to topple De Gea.
The 23-year-old has made no secret of his desire to be the starting goalkeeper for United and England since returning to Old Trafford after two seasons on loan at Sheffield United.
He is concerned about his lack of first-team opportunities this season and the effect it could have on his international prospects.
Having replaced De Gea in Wednesday night’s 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace, Henderson will remain in goal for the Premier League matches against Manchester City and West Ham, the Europa League double game with AC Milan. and the FA Cup quarter-finals in Leicester. .
If he performs well, it would be very difficult for Solskjaer to bring De Gea directly to the team after keeping faith in the Spaniard, despite a number of costly mistakes, since taking over as United’s manager in December 2018.
It has created an increasingly uncomfortable situation for Solskjaer given Henderson’s impressive demonstrations. The clean sheet against Palace was the eighth in 13 appearances.
Solskjaer will face the media at noon on Friday and could argue that Henderson would have played three of the next five games anyway, in Europe and the FA Cup.
And it’s not uncommon for players to be given time off for the birth of their children.
But the significance of Solskjaer’s decision to fire De Gea for a month and install Henderson has not been lost on the team. Send a clear message that the number one spot is at stake.
If this proves to be the beginning of the end for De Gea, the biggest challenge for United would be finding a buyer. He has more than two years left on a £ 375,000 a week contract.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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