93 touches, 9 duels won, 8 recoveries: 23yo United star was exceptional for his country in new position

Uruguay suffered their second defeat of the World Cup qualifying campaign against Peru on the road.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side went into the game as clear favourites to beat Peru, but they lacked the cutting edge in front of goal with just three shots on target.

After a lacklustre opening half, Uruguay stepped up their performance after the break, but Peru sealed a surprise win after a late goal from Miguel Araujo.

Despite the loss, there were some positives to carry forward. Manuel Ugarte played in the middle of a back three for the visitors and had a good individual display.

The Manchester United ace had 93 touches with 71 successful passes. He won nine duels and made eight recoveries alongside two tackles and one clearance.

The 23-year-old was guilty of giving away possession before the break when Uruguay were at their worst, but made amends for his error with a fine recovery.

United legend Gary Neville recently advised manager Erik ten Hag to consider a three-man backline going forward and Ugarte has shown that he can be a solution.

Ugarte joined the Red Devils from Paris Saint-Germain with plenty of hype, but he has yet to become a mainstay in the starting line-up in the Premier League.

Ten Hag has said that the Uruguayan has to adapt to the club’s tactics, but we believe he should start against Brentford in midfield to provide extra solidity.

Christian Eriksen has fared well with his creativity in recent games, but he could be the one to make way due to his limited mobility when without possession.

Stats from Fotmob.com

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