Ole Gunnar Solksjaer has suggested Donny van de Beek might be in line for more minutes over the rest of the season, saying the March international break did the Dutchman "the world of good".
The midfielder has frequently found himself on the outside looking in since his arrival at Old Trafford last year, with the former Ajax man struggling to break through into the Norwegian's starting XI.
The 23-year-old has spent much of 2021 sidelined with a muscle problem, but impressed in a late cameo for his nation during last month's Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifier against Gibraltar with a goal, which his manager believes has reignited his drive ahead of the final stretch of the 2020-21 season.
What has Solskjaer said?
“Sometimes, it’s natural that if you don’t play, you have injuries, you lose a bit of confidence, that spark," the Red Devils boss said in his pre-match press conference ahead of his side's return to Premier League action against Brighton.
"I can talk from my own experience. Sometimes I went away to play with Norway and came back, just to get the feel about yourself back and feel better. He’s come back and, in training this morning, he scored some absolute top, top goals that I’d be really proud of myself. It’s done him the world of good going away, scoring a goal for Holland.
Next Match
“We hope we can see a lot of that for the next seven or eight weeks of the season and then to kick on again.”
The bigger picture
United will look to consolidate second place in the Premier League on Sunday when they host Brighton at Old Trafford.
They sit a point ahead of Leicester City heading into the tie, with the Foxes downed by leaders Manchester City earlier this weekend.
After that, Solskjaer turns his attention to the only trophy left for his side to compete for in midweek, when they are in Europa League action with a potential banana-skin in the shape of Granada, who have enjoyed a sensational run from the second qualifying round through to the quarter-finals in their first continental campaign.