Ruben Amorim can unleash a new Manchester United midfield vs Nottingham Forest

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There are three guarantees in life: death, taxes and Diogo Dalot starting football matches for Manchester United.

The Portuguese international has racked up 45 appearances for United so far this season, 44 of which have been as a starter. The only exception was when he stepped off the bench at half-time in United's 3-2 Europa League win over Bodo/Glimt at Old Trafford in November.

The only other time Dalot has been missing from the starting XI this season was when he was suspended for the Reds' 3-1 win over Southampton at Old Trafford in January, following his sending-off against Arsenal in the FA Cup four days earlier.

Having become a virtual ever-present this season, inspired by his outstanding reliability record, it is hard to envision a United starting XI without him nowadays. He has become a staple figure whether it be at right wing-back or left wing-back.

However, ahead of tonight's trip to the City Ground to face high-flying Nottingham Forest, Dalot is not automatically guaranteed a place in the starting XI. Patrick Dorgu is back available after his three-match domestic ban and is expected to start at left wing-back.

The Dane joined United from Italian side Lecce at the very start of February and, despite his recent ban, has quickly proven why he is a perfect fit for Ruben Amorim's 3-4-2-1 system.

Amorim needs athletic runners and speed in the wide areas and Dorgu offers those particular cravings in buckets. His first few performances, both in the Premier League and in Europe, have offered a glimpse into United's future.

With United continuing to adapt to Amorim's trademark system, he needs players who suit it, and Dorgu does, meaning he has become a shoo-in at left-sided wing-back.

Dorgu is set to be joined back in the squad this evening by Leny Yoro and Harry Maguire, both of whom were nursing injuries prior to the international break. With Ayden Heaven unavailable and Victor Lindelof set to move on at the end of the season, there is a good chance Yoro and Maguire could win their places back in the starting XI and join forces with Matthijs de Ligt in the back-three.

(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images.)

If De Ligt, Yoro, Maguire and Dorgu all start, it leaves Noussair Mazraoui and Dalot jockeying for the final position within the XI that is available to a defender. Mazraoui was drafted in to challenge Dalot for the right-back spot at the beginning of the season and just about every situation has unfolded during the campaign but that one, with both of them having to undertake different roles both before and after Amorim's mid-season appointment.

Ahead of tonight's trip to the Midlands, both Mazraoui and Dalot will equally believe they are worthy of a starting berth. Dalot is more attack-minded than Mazraoui, but the Moroccan has barely put a foot wrong all season, making it a hard battle to select a clear winner from.

But in the event of Mazraoui getting the nod and Dalot being left out of the XI for a Premier League game he has been available for selection for the first time since August 2023, Amorim will find himself fielding a previously unselected midfield.

Manuel Ugarte and Bruno Fernandes have developed a strong midfield partnership in recent weeks, establishing themselves as Amorim's first-choice midfield options. With Mazraoui lining up on the right of them and Dorgu on the left them in the wing-back positions, that would see Amorim unleash a midfield quartet he has not previously started with.

On the five occasions Dorgu has started at left wing-back since joining United, Dalot has started on the opposite flank. When the former made his United bow against Leicester City in the FA Cup from the right, Dalot started on the left.

It means the prospect of Mazraoui and Dorgu starting as the two wing-backs would be unprecedented.

Long-term, Amad is genuine option to make the right wing-back berth his own, pushing Mazraoui and Dalot down the pecking order in the process. But for now, it is Mazraoui and Dalot who are fighting to gain the upper hand.

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