47 passes, 1 assist – Man Utd star named MOTM after brilliant international display, Ruben Amorim will have mixed feelings

Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui excelled in Morocco’s clash against Niger on the weekend in their World Cup qualifiers.

Noussair Mazraoui has been one of Manchester United’s most consistent performers since his arrival in the summer transfer window.

The right-back joined from Bayern Munich for around £13 million and has proven to be a brilliant value-for-money addition to the squad.

Ruben Amorim has been relying on Mazraoui to play as a wide centre-back in some games and a wingback in others.

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old returned to a more natural fullback role after going on international duty this week.

Mazraoui started at left-back in Morocco’s dramatic 2-1 victory over Niger, which has extended their position at the top of their World Cup qualifying group.

Mazraoui stars in dramatic Morocco win

United fans have become used to the technical consistency Mazraoui offers the team and it appears to have been the same story for his country this weekend.

The defender completed 47 of his 53 attempted passes against Niger and was not dispossessed once in that game. He completed both of his tackles as well.

His attacking influence was also clear, with Mazraoui creating two chances – one of which became a 90th minute winning goal.

After a brilliant one-two, the United star dinked a cross towards the back post for Bilal El Khannouss to finish with ease.

Mazraoui was a contender for Man of the Match with his display, as FotMob rated him as an 8.1 out of 10 for his performance.

Why Amorim will have mixed feelings about Mazraoui display

Amorim certainly will want to see his players doing well with their nations during this break but will have mixed feelings about Mazraoui.

While the defender excelled, he also played the entire 90 minutes of the game. Mazraoui has started 21 of United’s last 22 games and in the clash where he was benched, the defender came on as a first-half substitute.

Read More: Why Manuel Ugarte was absent from Uruguay squad vs Argentina in World Cup qualifier, big risk explained

Mazraoui has also been playing consistently throughout Ramadan, and Amorim admitted last week that the defender was extremely tired.

“Nous Mazraoui is dead. He’s completely… he’s fasting and he’s playing all of the minutes. He is amazing,” the United boss told reporters after victory against Leicester City.

Amorim would likely have preferred for Mazraoui to be getting some rest ahead of his return to Carrington, however, the performance just showcases his importance to the Moroccan side.

Hopefully, with players returning from injury and suspension, Mazraoui can be afforded some rotation in the next few weeks.

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