There’s Dalot to look forward to for £19m Diogo
DIOGO Dalot may not have been in the matchday squad on Tuesday night, but he was there to see United scrape past Young Boys at Old Trafford. Wearing a baseball cap and club jacket, the 19-year-old popped along as a fan to support his team-mates.
Few would have blamed Dalot if he had stayed at home after he was not even summoned to the Hilton for the squad’s pre-match meal and team meeting ahead of the game.
Indeed, Dalot has not made a matchday squad since September.
This felt like the ideal occasion to re-introduce the Portuguese into the fold after he picked up an injury on international duty earlier this month. Dalot impressed on his debut against Young Boys in Bern in September and has only been used in cup competitions this season.
But Mourinho decided against it as he picked a team who could cope with ‘a little pressure’.
That meant a recall for skipper Antonio Valencia, who had not played since October 2, and Mourinho has surrounded himself with players with Premier League experience during the most turbulent period of his reign.
Fred and Dalot have made just nine starts, combined, following their big-money moves in the summer and Mourinho has again been patient with those players who have come from another league, as was the case with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Victor Lindelof.
United’s plan with Dalot was always to ease him in and it is worth remembering the teenager made only eight first-team appearances with Porto before completing his £19.5m move in the summer.
After undergoing surgery on his knee in May, United also took Dalot’s rehabilitation intentionally slow.
The club are particularly patient with young players when they come back from injury – Tahith Chong, who is nine months younger that Dalot, spent nearly a year on the sidelines.
Dalot only came off crutches in July and did not kick a ball again until the final days of United’s pre-season tour of the US before making his debut for the reserves in September. Tellingly, Mourinho watched that game against Stoke in person.
Mourinho played a crucial role in bringing Dalot to Old Trafford, convincing him to snub interest from 13 other clubs, and United were so keen that they paid more than his £17.5m release clause before it became active on June 30 to secure him.
Mourinho believes United have landed the man who can be their right-back for a decade and while it has been a tricky time for the club, Dalot has relished working with his compatriot and loves life in Manchester.
Tellingly, he has not been demoted to the reserves to get some game time under his belt in recent weeks and there should be opportunities ahead, whether it is against Valencia next month or the FA Cup third round in the New Year.
Don’t bet against Dalot taking his chance then.