One Man Utd player with "enormous potential" is in danger of being held back by Jose Mourinho, says Crooks

Former Manchester United forward Garth Crooks believes Diogo Dalot cannot reach his full potential under the guidance of Jose Mourinho.  

Dalot, 19, joined from Porto in the summer but an injury problem kept him out of action at the start of the season, though he has since recovered and started the previous two matches.

How big is Dalot’s potential? Five things to know…

1. Dalot was a relative unknown upon his arrival at Old Trafford having played just six senior Porto matches.
2. He has impressed immensely since making his Red Devils debut, flourishing against Fulham in a 4-1 win on Saturday.
3. His tenacious work rate and ability to get forward have seen him likened to club legend Gary Neville.
4. Manager Jose Mourinho believes the club have a new right-back for the next decade.
5. Against Fulham, no player created more chances (three) or completed more successful dribbles (three) than Dalot.

United clinched their first Premier League win in four matches against the Cottagers, taking them back up to sixth in the table, though eight points adrift of a top four position.

Three points and four goals on Saturday has only managed to pave over the discernible cracks presiding over Old Trafford this season, and as such, Crooks, writing in his BBC Sport ‘team of the week’, believes Dalot must play under a different manager to thrive.

He wrote: “This is a young full-back who knows how to cross a ball and exactly where to put it at the same time.

“This 19-year-old Portuguese kid looks like he could be the real deal.

“He’s definitely with the right team. I’m not entirely sure he’s with the right manager.”

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A right-back for the next 10 years

With club captain and converted right-back Antonio Valencia entering his twilight years having turned 33 in the summer, United will be in dire need of a replacement full-back soon.

Indeed, many Red Devils fans have been crying out for a new right-back for some time, with Valencia’s once-tipped heir Matteo Darmian failing to produce to kind of performances that warrant a starting berth.

But that problem may not be around too much longer if Dalot can continue in his current rich vein of form, as Mourinho believes the club have found Valencia’s successor.

“All my defenders were dead by the end,” Mourinho told reporters at Thursday evening’s press conference after the 2-2 draw against Arsenal.

“The kid Diogo, fantastic. I think Gary Neville must be thinking that Manchester United now has a very good right back for 10 years.”

Man Utd next face Valencia in the Champions League on Wednesday.

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