Ruud van Nistelrooy explains double Manchester United substitution vs Leicester

Ruud van Nistelrooy said his double substitution early in the second half was "necessary" as Manchester United beat Leicester City 3-0.

Van Nistelrooy decided in the 50th minute to send on Jonny Evans and Alejandro Garnacho and the pair came on for Diogo Dalot and Marcus Rashford seven minutes later.

Evans slotted in at centre back and Noussair Mazraoui switched from left back to right back as Lisandro Martinez shifted to left back. Garnacho was a straight swap for Rashford on the left wing.

Dalot has started in all 18 of United's matches this season as specialist left backs Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia have remained sidelined. Rashford has only started on the bench twice this term and has gone eight games without a goal.

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Garnacho curled in his seventh goal of the season and his second during Van Nistelrooy's four-game interim spell. The 20-year-old is United's top scorer this term and had started their previous seven matches, having started 38 successive games last season.

"The timing was I felt it was necessary in today’s game to make those changes," Van Nistelrooy explained. "Players who had played so many minutes in so many games because of the thin squad, they need also replacing to keep them fit and to keep them healthy.

"And there are other players in the squad who are back. Jonny Evans, fantastic, comes in and does the job. And Lisandro going to left back and doing their jobs.

"I spoke to Alejandro before the game: 'You're playing so much, so many games, so many minutes, I want you fresh from the bench to make a difference as a sub.'

"It was the reality we were in and good to have many more players on board like Christian Eriksen who could step in for Casemiro, who has also played almost everything over the last period."