It was announced last week that the Premier League is due to return on June 17, with Manchester United penciled in to play their first game back the following weekend.
United will face Tottenham in what could be a crucial match in the race for Champions League football next season.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men were in excellent form prior to the season's suspension having not lost in 11 games. A big part of the improvement was down to the January arrival of Bruno Fernandes, who has already established himself as a fans' favorite at Old Trafford, scoring two and assisting three in his five Premier League games for the club.
His instant impact means that he is one of the first names on the team sheet, but Solskjaer has some important decisions to make as to who lines up alongside Fernandes in United’s midfield.
We have taken a look at the main options available to United who can help Fernandes continue his fine form when the campaign resumes.
Paul Pogba
Pogba has missed most of the season due to ankle problems. The Frenchman’s last league appearance for United was a 45-minute cameo against Newcastle on Boxing Day.
Pogba arrived at Old Trafford in 2016 with big expectations on his shoulders and has shown glimpses of what he is capable of during the past four seasons.
The 27-year-old’s long-term future at Old Trafford remains up in the air but the prospect of playing alongside Fernandes could just convince him to extend his stay at the club.
United's fans are desperate to see their two genuine world-class midfielders link up.
Andreas Pereira
Since the arrival of Fernandes, Pereira has found game time hard to come by, falling down the pecking order at Old Trafford after a largely difficult season.
Pereira’s last start in the Premier League came in the 0-0 draw against Wolves February. The Brazilian failed to make United's matchday squad for two of their three Premier League games before the suspension.
It is likely that the midfielder will find himself used mostly as a back-up option to Fernandes once the season restarts.
Scott McTominay
After recovering from a knee injury that kept him out for seven games between December and February, the 23-year-old made his comeback in both the Europa League and Premier League before the suspension kicked in. United fans need no reminder of his exploits in their last domestic fixture.
The youngster is competing with the more experienced Nemanja Matic in a deeper midfield role.
Fred
Another midfielder who has largely operated in a deeper role this season is Fred, one of United's most-improved players under Solskjaer.
His consistent performances in the middle of the park have seen him cement himself as one of the first names on the team sheet.
The 27-year-old has started every Premier League game since October and is also beginning to make an impact at the other end of the pitch, scoring a brace in the Europa League match against Club Brugge and providing two assists in the round-of-16 first-leg victory over LASK before the suspension.
Nemanja Matic
An option was taken up earlier in the season to extend the Serb’s contract at Old Trafford by a further year.
The 31-year-old found his game time limited during the first half of the season but benefited from injuries to Pogba and McTominay at the start of the year.
Matic played the full 90 minutes in United's four Premier League games before the season was put on hold.
