Axel Tuanzebe confirmed what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knew about the Manchester United centre-back in the Europa League win over Astana.
Tuanzebe, 21, lined up in a United shirt for the first time in nearly two years as they kept a clean sheet for the second successive game in the 1-0 victory against the Kazakh outfit.
The match marked just the second time Tuanzebe has played at centre half for United, having been introduced to first-team football at right-back by Jose Mourinho before a stint in defensive midfield at the tail-end of the 2016-17 camapaign.
Tuanzebe helped Aston Villa to promotion from the Championship last season mainly as a central defender and sees his long-term future there. United have the established £110.9million partnership of Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire, but Solskjaer was impressed by third-choice Tuanzebe's perforance.
"Axel was very assured out there," Solskjaer said. "He was in cruise control as well. Delighted for him.
"It's a few years since he played for us here at Old Trafford, and he played really well and just confirmed what we already thought we knew."
Lindelof was excluded from the matchday squad, along with fellow first-teamers David de Gea and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Maguire was named on the bench. Solskjaer claimed it was Maguire who had a rest day, though.
"We only need one centre-back on the bench," Solskjaer explained. "And today was Harry's turn. Marcos [Rojo] can also play centre-back.
"We didn't rest [Lindelof], he had to work. Harry got a rest, because he was on the bench, while Victor and Aaron and the others who weren't in the squad had a hard day. He needs to work, Victor."
