Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte participated for the full 90 minutes in Uruguay’s World Cup qualifier against Chile on the road last night.
The 24-year-old had been a late substitute in the recent win over Peru, but he was selected to start in the number six position for the final qualifier.
Ugarte demonstrated a solid pass completion rate of 90 percent. Nevertheless, he struggled to exert control, frequently losing duels.
The United player managed to win only two out of the seven duels he contested, resulting in a loss rate of 71 percent in his duels.
Ugarte recorded five clearances and four recoveries, but he also committed three fouls during the match.
He lost possession six times against Chile, who ended up at the bottom of the World Cup qualifying group with a mere 11 points from 18 matches.
The £39 million-rated player has been facing challenges with low confidence this season, having played only 46 minutes from the bench in the Premier League.
Ugarte was replaced at the midpoint of the surprising Carabao Cup second round loss to Grimsby Town via penalties last month.
Manager Ruben Amorim did not select him for the match against Burnley, where he remained an unused substitute. Instead, Kobbie Mainoo was chosen over him.
In our opinion, Ugarte has not enhanced his chances following his performance against Chile and may find himself on the bench once more at the Etihad Stadium.
United will face their long-standing rivals Manchester City on Sunday. It appears that Casemiro will partner either Bruno Fernandes or Mainoo in the midfield.
Fernandes might play in a more advanced position if Matheus Cunha is not considered fit to start after sustaining a minor hamstring injury against the Clarets before the break.
Casemiro returned early from international duty after receiving a suspension for Brazil’s match against Bolivia. He is expected to begin in the number six position ahead of Ugarte.
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