Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer defended Paul Pogba after his miserable start to the season continued at Brighton.
Pogba was unable to make an impact on the game as Brighton dominated proceedings on the south coast.
The Red Devils emerged with a fortune 3-2 win courtesy of late drama as Bruno Fernandes converted a last-gasp penalty.
Solskjaer admitted his side had “got away with one” at the Amex Stadium but insisted they will improve.
And he excused Pogba, who was replaced in the second half, for his poor performance after a disrupted pre-season.
"He missed a lot of pre-season because of his illness," Solskjaer said.
"He's not had internationals or the friendly against Villa.
“The two 65 minutes he's had will help him along and he'll just get better and better.”
Despite Pogba’s poor performances against Brighton and Crystal Palace, it is United’s defence which has come under the spotlight.
However, Solskjaer insists he is well-stocked and is unlikely to bring in new faces in his back four before the October 5 transfer deadline.
"We've got many defenders here and I put Eric (Bailly) on to bolster the defence, following the runs of (Leandro) Trossard and (Neal) Maupay," Solskjaer said.
"So, for me, we've got enough good centre-backs here at the moment.
"When you concede chances and concede goals there are two different things you can look at: it's the team shape or are there any individual mistakes.
"For me, we're not in our best shape of form, our shape isn't there, we're not sharp enough to stop crosses or follow the runs.
"We're a little bit behind and that's structural mistakes than individual mistakes. I thought Victor did well today."
