Joshua Zirkzee now has new Manchester United role that nobody saw coming

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If Joshua Zirkzee does indeed leave Manchester United in January, then he will do so having finally broken his Premier League duck. It had been almost a full 12 months since the Dutchman had scored in the Premier League before he struck at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

Zirkzee, a £34million signing from Bologna in the latter months of Erik ten Hag's tenure, has seen chances be few and far between this season, the club's £200million summer splurge on attacking talent - plus the return to fitness of Mason Mount - pushing him down the pecking order under Ruben Amorim. He could have gone in the summer had there been a buyer that met United's demands before Napoli's deal for Rasmus Hojlund came to fruition.

With Benjamin Sesko the new first choice in attack and Matheus Cunha also ahead of him as Amorim's second pick for his side's No.9, Zirkzee is keen to leave when the transfer window reopens for more regular action. He needs it if he's to be in Holland's World Cup squad and there's interest in Italy, notably from Roma, to take him back.

In truth, he was only starting in south London because both Sesko and Cunha were absent and Amorim prefers Bryan Mbeumo - the third member of the summer's attacking reload - to play from the right rather than operating as a focal point. It's a return to prominence that nobody saw coming either a few weeks ago - when Cunha was thriving and Sesko was starting to find his feet - or at the end of summer, when Amorim was still happy to let him leave if the right deal could be done.

But with injuries giving him an opportunity, Zirkzee made his point with a fine second half display, his 54th minute strike getting United back on terms after Jean-Philippe Mateta's opener, before Mason Mount's winner.

It came after a difficult first half, where Zirkzee and indeed United as a whole had been off the pace. There were some harsh words shared in the away dressing room at the break, and Zirzkee gave Amorim the response he desired.

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"Scoring is important but it's not just the goals," said Amorim on Zirkzee's display. "They give confidence but Joshua has also improved a lot in how he holds the ball. That should give him a lot of confidence.

"He influences the game and that's important to our game. He needs to maintain that level in training."

United skipper Bruno Fernandes was delighted with Zirkzee's contribution and insists he's capable of putting his 11-month scoreless streak behind him and giving the Red Devils real cutting edge this December.

“Obviously, it’s important for every player to score. Strikers want goals and want their chances, but it’s not just about that," said the Portuguese. “Josh contributes so many different things to the team even when he doesn’t score.

“We’re very happy, of course, because we know this will give him a boost of confidence to try more and create more shooting opportunities - he’s very capable of it.”

United and Amorim may well need him to be among the goals in the coming weeks. But by the time January arrives, he may well be on the outside looking in once more.

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