Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has praised the impact Fred has been making when coming off the bench for the Reds in recent matches, citing him as 'the example' in the squad.
The Brazilian midfielder has come off the bench in each of the four games since the World Cup in Qatar, with the 29-year-old getting on the scoresheet against Nottingham Forest.
While Fred has started just four times in the Premier League this season, and just seven times in all competitions, he has still featured 14 times in the top flight. Ten Hag has insisted that he is always keen to use his five permitted substitutions to his advantage.
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"We emphasise a lot of times that we’ve often had players who score goals when they come on from the bench, like Fred did last week," Ten Hag told club media. "Every time when he’s coming on, he’s ready. He’s front foot and he brings the right quality to the game. That is great to have that as a team and as a manager."
The Dutchman also admitted that he understands Fred's desire to start and play every match, but claimed that it was simply not possible due to the competition for places.
He added: "Of course, Fred wants to play every game. That’s not always possible and everyone has to battle for his position but there’s good competition in the squad to play and to get into the starting XI, but, once again, we need those players coming from the bench and giving impact to the game. Definitely, Fred is the one - there are others as well, but Fred is the example."
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