Manchester United Fan View: Fantastic Four – why United’s future is bright

On many occasions this season, Louis Van Gaal has had to rely on the club's youngsters due to the side’s injury crisis. It has been a tough period for Manchester United, who haven't had a real chance to place a consistent line-up week in and out due to injuries.

Cameron-Borthwick Jackson, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Guillermo Varela and Marcus Rashford are the key players that have been given senior debuts under Van Gaal and have gone onto feature a lot for the club in recent months.

The main youngster is Marcus Rashford. The 18-year-old doesn’t need an introduction especially with the instant impact he has made. He is currently on four league goals, two Europa League goals and one FA Cup goal in the space of two months. All of these goals were vital in qualifying for the next round of the Europa league, the FA Cup run and increasing the chance of finishing in the top four.

Expectations have increased massively since his debut, but it's very harsh to ask for a young player to score on a weekly basis especially as big names like Juan Mata and Memphis Depay haven't been impressive this season.

It’s not a lie that Rashford has carried Manchester United on his shoulders, and many would like to see him remain at the club for many years.

Fosu-Mensah is another youngster who is doing well for the senior side.

The Dutchman has been impressive in the past few games. He played a key role keeping West Ham's Dimitri Payet quiet during the FA Cup replay, which helped United win 2-1 at Upton Park. Fosu-Mensah also kept United in the game against second-placed Tottenham for most of the game, and once he picked up a knock the Red Devils conceded three goals in the space of six minutes just after the youngster went off.

Fosu-Mensah seems like a long-term option. He is very versatile and can play at centre-back, left-back, right-back and centre-midfield too. The 18-year-old believes the central role is best for him, and made his debut for the club when coming on as a substitute early in the second half during a 3-2 win over Arsenal back in February.  

Borthwick-Jackson was the first player of the quartet to start for the senior side. He made his debut for United against West Brom back in November. When needed the most by Van Gaal, Borthwick-Jackson filled in superbly in the left-back role and wasn’t afraid to cause problems in the opposition half too. He is a great replacement for the injured Luke Shaw.

Unfortunately he picked up a knock during the FA Cup match against Shrewsbury in February, since when he hasn’t featured for the senior team. Cameron’s key strength which was easily recognised by the fans was his crossing, which resulted in few chances created and some goals too. United haven’t been impressive on the flanks this season, which is unusual from a club that have been known for attacking from the wings.

He has shown true confidence and maturity every time he appears on the pitch and hope he has a good career if he fulfils his potential. It will be tough for him to break into the team with Shaw and Marcos Rojo the main contenders for the left-back role, but the youngster would benefit from a full-season loan deal.

Varela is the final player that has been impressive since his promotion to the senior team. The Uruguayan has already been recognised as a similar player to ex-United player Gabriel Heinze. The 23-year-old might be too old to be seen as a youngster, but joined the club in 2013 and it took him two years to earn his debut. He has already made eight appearances, his key moments assisting Rashford for United’s third goal against Midtjylland and playing an important part in the side's attack during the 3-2 win against Arsenal.

Varela’s qualities have been noted by Zinedine Zidane. The Frenchman was Real Madrid Castilla’s coach during 2014-16 and Varela was on loan at the club during the 2014-15 season. Zidane mentioned sometime ago praising Varela by saying “he will make it to the top”, showing the current Real Madrid manager has seen what he is capable of. Varela’s hard work for United hasn’t gone without credit, he was handed his call up the national squad by Uruguay last month.

Varela is a true South American, a player who is never afraid of attacking even though his main duty is to defend. The right-back role at United has been seen as a weakness, but he looks like a seasoned veteran in the role. With Antonio Valencia ageing and rumoured to be sold in the summer, this gives Varela a great chance to get more games for the first team. Many will feel the Uruguayan will be a big hit at Old Trafford and could turn into a fan’s favourite before you know it.

So despite a poor season for Manchester United and the fans, surely the youth products that have come through this season will be something positive to take from this campaign. All four players have played a key role for the team, so they deserve to receive more games as a reward.

Follo Asif on Twitter @HerreraTekkers