'It's clear' - Erik ten Hag on whether Scott McTominay can play up front for Man Utd following Scotland brace

• Ten Hag backs McTominay's scoring ability
• Says he's happy with his midfield contributions
• Comments follow Scot's double against Spain

WHAT HAPPENED? Scotland international McTominay scored a double in his national team's massive 2-0 win over Spain in mid-week. His goalscoring record is decent, although generally he's deployed in a box-to-box central midfield position; however, Manchester United boss Ten Hag has recognised his player's ability to operate in a more advanced position.

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WHAT THEY SAID: According to Ten Hag: “Scott can play in many roles, it’s clear he has scoring capabilities for Scotland but also this season for us he’s a really good finisher." Despite that evident skill, he also went on to say “I see him as a midfielder so I think I’m happy with what Wout is doing. Because when Wout is in the team the team is performing better.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The United manager's comments come during a crucial part of the season, as the Red Devils look to back up their impressive League Cup win with a strong Premier League finish and a potential FA Cup victory too - they face a difficult tie against Brighton & Hove Albion in the semi-finals of the competition.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MCTOMINAY? Next up in the Premier League, United face a repeat of their Carabao Cup final, heading to Newcastle United for a crucial clash between two sides competing for European football. McTominay - who recently sent a message to Ten Hag that he'd be keen to be employed in a more advanced role - will be hoping that his side can record a similar result to the one at Wembley.