The dispute between two Manchester United players is coming to an abrupt conclusion

According to a recent Manchester Evening News story, Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have struggled for a starting spot at right-back for Manchester United, and their war is now over. Erik ten Hag said last spring that it was ‘close’ between the two, but Wan-Bissaka finished the season as the first choice in his position, and he started the first four games of the current Premier League season before suffering a hamstring tear.

Wan-Bissaka has only started six league games since recovering from his injury in September, and he has been out for the past two months due to an unexplained issue. In comparison, Dalot has started 24 of the league’s 27 games this season, resuming the form that earned him praise before to the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

Wan-Bissaka’s status has dropped, while Dalot has restored his starting spot, which is likely to be the ultimate twist in a long-running rivalry between the two players. Dalot is one of the first names on the squad sheet, and he was one of the few to come out on top against Manchester City, despite Pep Guardiola’s side winning 3-1 in the derby.

Individual performances are meaningless when United lose, especially against their rivals, but Dalot’s statistics show that he is playing his best game again after a difficult stretch. Dalot had a 100% tackle-win percentage against City, finished all of his dribbles, and won 80% of his duels, indicating that he gave his all to aid the team.

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The 24-year-old was the greatest player in the backline, adding more value in wide areas than Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Antony, and Omari Forson when they came on. Perhaps his most remarkable metric this season has been his fitness and availability. Only four regular United starters have escaped injury, with Dalot among them.

Andre Onana, Bruno Fernandes, and Garnacho are the other players who have kept a clean bill of health, and they deserve credit for being available every week. Dalot has missed only eight games due to injury since the start of the 2020-21 season, and the MEN has previously stated his intention to lead a fully professional lifestyle.

Cristiano Ronaldo praised Dalot’s mindset in his controversial interview with Piers Morgan, and the defender is now reaping the benefits of prioritising his health and recuperation. Wan-Bissaka had a rebirth last season after appearing destined to go, but the pendulum has swung back in Dalot’s favour, and it would be surprising if that changed.

The Portuguese international signed a new five-year contract with United in May, and the option to extend Wan-Bissaka’s contract by one season was exercised in January. Dalot was signed to a long-term contract, but Wan-Bissaka was handed a one-year extension, implying he would be moved for a price at the conclusion of the season.