Manchester United's hopes of advancing to the Champions League knockout stage were dashed in a dismal manner, suffering a 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, leaving them in need of a miracle that did not materialize.
Under Erik ten Hag's management, the team finished at the bottom of Group A, enduring four defeats in six matches and extending their European drought to six years.
The performance against Bayern Munich on Tuesday offered few positives for Manchester United, raising more questions than providing answers. Injuries forced England duo Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw off in the first half, potentially leaving ten Hag with nine first-team players unavailable for the upcoming match against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford were also absent from the Champions League defeat against Bayern, reportedly falling ill on Monday and missing the team's training session at Carrington ahead of the UCL showdown.
Expected to progress easily from Group A alongside Bayern Munich, Manchester United stumbled in their return to Europe's elite competition.
Without further delay, let's quickly address the primary message of this article - the three players responsible for Manchester United's failure to reach the Champions League round of sixteen.
1. Rasmus Højlund: The £72m summer signing failed to make an impact, being largely anonymous and unable to produce a single shot on goal in the crucial match against Bayern Munich.
2. Sofyan Amrabat: The Moroccan midfielder was outclassed and outplayed in the battle at Old Trafford, particularly by Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich.
3. Bruno Fernandes: The Manchester United captain was wasteful in possession and received an unnecessary booking in the game's closing stages.
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