The imminent return of a number of players from injury is wonderful news for Manchester United, but it also provides Erik ten Hag with a welcome challenge.

United’s unlucky injury record has clearly contributed to their lack of consistency this season, but it is not the only reason, with a string of poor performances also to blame.

It’s simple to argue that if everyone is fully fit, United will suddenly improve on the field, but that argument conveniently ignores the fact that they haven’t been good enough thus far.

Even when they were available, talents like Raphael Varane, Casemiro, Mason Mount, Marcus Rashford, and Antony just haven’t been good enough to warrant a spot on the team. However, United will only have consistency on the field if they have it in their squad, with Ten Hag already stating that having a core of 13 or so players available all the time will provide the progress they need.

It is also critical that Ten Hag has a core group of players he can rely on to produce consistently, which does not always imply that the biggest stars should start. Consider Scott McTominay.

The Scotland international was one of many who could have easily left the club in the summer, but he has earned a place back in the team by making the most of the opportunities he has been afforded. McTominay may not be the prototypical Ten Hag midfielder, and there are still questions about his best function in the United side, but he compensates for his inadequacies with his tireless work ethic and dedication to the cause.

The 26-year-old did not start any of the first four Premier League matches of the season, but has since started six of the past eight, capitalizing on the injury situation and becoming an important member of Ten Hag’s side.

It’s even more flattering when you consider United has won seven of their nine Premier League games this season in which McTominay has appeared and lost all three in which he hasn’t.

This season, United has fared significantly better with McTominay.

McTominay’s problem has always been a lack of openness in his function. While you know what you will get from him, you also know what you will not get. In the long run, he is still not a midfielder they can rely on to start every week, but he adds real squad value to the club in the same way that Nicky Butt, Ji-Sung Park, and Darren Fletcher all did during their tenures.

It’s also telling that Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer found a role for McTominay, just as Sir Alex Ferguson would have, though their mistake was their reliance on the academy graduate in the face of a lack of quality alternatives.

Just this week, Solskjaer lauded Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay as United’s unsung heroes. “I knew they had it in them,” he admitted to Nettavisen. “I think it’s these types of people who get paid for their efforts and get paid back for what kind of people they are… They are the kind of people you want in a team.”

Yes, they could have both departed during the summer transfer window, but recent results indicate that United would have been worse off had they done so.

Two years after Solskjaer was fired, his midfield favorite is still as essential to the group as he was before, and just because he isn’t a player who should start every game doesn’t mean he should be moved on.

McTominay remains an important team player in football.