Mason Greenwood becoming Solskjaer's key man with Man Utd vs Arsenal up next

Manchester United need to wrap Mason Greenwood’s tonsils in cotton wool.

Right now the 17-year-old is one of the few rays of light in such a troubled start to the season for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

And with no fit senior strikers available ahead of Monday’s crucial clash with Arsenal, Greenwood may just be the most important player at Solskjaer’s disposal.

For the second week in succession the teenager demonstrated the class that has everyone at United so excited.

ManUtdRochdale250919-13.jpg

(Manchester United via Getty Imag)

Just as he did against Astana six days earlier, Greenwood produced a moment of individual brilliance to raise the roof at Old Trafford on an otherwise humbling night against League One Rochdale.

In between those two wins came the 2-0 defeat to West Ham where Jesse Lingard ended up at centre forward following injury to Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and a bout of tonsillitis for Greenwood.

Had he been available at the London Stadium, it might have been a very different story for United.

That Solskjaer is left relying on such an inexperienced prospect underlines the folly of failing to replace Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez in the summer.

But such is Greenwood’s natural talent that it would be unwise to rule him out of coming to his manager’s rescue in the coming weeks – starting with Arsenal in Monday’s showdown at Old Trafford.

Comfortable with either foot, he is deadly in front of goal in a manner that too few players at United seem to be.

man-utd-astana-190919zh.jpg

(AFP/Getty Images)

While Lingard and Paul Pogba were guilty of wasting golden chances to put Rochdale away in this EFL third round tie, Greenwood’s strike came from nothing.

In a flash he shuffled past Rhys Norrington-Davies just inside the box before unleashing a strike that even the heroic Robert Sanchez couldn’t repel.

Six days earlier he came up with the winner against Astana in the Europa League that was all of his own making again.

In Pictures | Man Utd vs Rochdale | 25/09/19

• 29 show all

In Pictures | Man Utd vs Rochdale | 25/09/19

• 1/29

  PA

• 2/29

  PA

• 3/29

  AFP/Getty Images

• 4/29

  Manchester United via Getty Imag

• 5/29

  Manchester United via Getty Imag

• 6/29

  Manchester United via Getty Imag

• 7/29

  Manchester United via Getty Imag

• 8/29

  Manchester United via Getty Imag

• 9/29

  PA

• 10/29

  PA

• 11/29

  Manchester United via Getty Imag

• 12/29

  PA

• 13/29

  PA

• 14/29

  AFP/Getty Images

• 15/29

  Manchester United via Getty Imag

• 16/29

  Manchester United via Getty Imag

• 17/29

  Getty Images

• 18/29

  Getty Images

• 19/29

  Getty Images

• 20/29

  Manchester United via Getty Imag

• 21/29

  Getty Images

• 22/29

  AFP/Getty Images

• 23/29

  Manchester United via Getty Imag

• 24/29

  AFP/Getty Images

• 25/29

  AFP/Getty Images

• 26/29

  Manchester United via Getty Imag

• 27/29

  PA

• 28/29

  PA

• 29/29

  Manchester United via Getty Imag

How United missed those game-changing qualities against West Ham – and how they will need them to avoid slipping further adrift in the Premier League against top four rivals Arsenal.

In this form – and in United’s current predicament, they simply can’t afford to leave him out.