Ranked: Casemiro, Marcus Rashford & the top candidates to replace 'disgraceful' Bruno Fernandes as Man Utd captain

Harry Maguire is still technically club captain, but it feels unlikely that he is on the way back to wearing the armband on a regular basis.

Disregarding any decision over Fernandes, who is technically vice-captain, the England international simply does not play enough to command the leadership role or, as a result, much authority in the dressing room having fallen out of favour.

Ten Hag's tenure has been all about progress and looking forward so far, but this would be a step backwards.

It is a shame, but the centre-back has paid for his poor form at the start of the season and it now seems unlikely that he will dislodge either Raphael Varane or Lisandro Martinez from their starting roles before the end of the campaign.

Although he has skippered both Real Madrid and France during his illustrious career, Raphael Varane is yet to be given the responsibility at Old Trafford.

Although the reasons exactly why that is are unclear, despite being a consummate professional and extremely classy operator, Varane has long been viewed as a more reserved character who lets his football do the talking on the pitch.

Amid the cut and thrust of the Premier League, perhaps the club needs a bigger character to take on the responsibility.

After a rollercoaster first few years at Old Trafford, Luke Shaw has emerged as one of the Premier League's - and arguably the world's - finest left-backs and is now one of Man Utd's longest-serving players.

As well as improving on the pitch, he has developed off it too and is regularly praised for his maturity and honest answers in post-match interviews. Ten Hag has clearly noted that too, with Shaw included in a 'leadership group' behind the scenes.

However, given the other options available, Shaw probably faces an uphill battle to hold the title outright. Perhaps a good option for vice-captain, if that changes.

Lisandro Martinez has defied expectation since arriving at United from Ajax in the summer, taking to the Premier League like a duck to water despite his diminutive frame.

Contrary to what you might expect of an Argentine playing in England for the first time, his English is excellent, too.

However, despite the fact he has won a World Cup in the brief time since he made the move to Old Trafford, Martinez's relative inexperience may count against him here. The 25-year-old only moved to Europe in 2019, and this is his first club in one of Europe's so called 'top five' leagues.

That being said, he is one of Ten Hag's trusted lieutenants from his time at the Johan Cruyff Arena and could be in with an outside chance.

Manchester United's longest-serving player.

Though he's had his ups and downs, it's easy to forget that David de Gea is a Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup winner, and he remains one of the club's most consistent performers through thick and thin.

The goalkeeper has taken the armband in the past when both Maguire and Fernandes aren't on the pitch, and evidently he sees himself as a leader in the squad.

Speaking before Christmas, he said: "I think I have changed a lot since I came here. I am more mature and I now feel like one of the most experienced players in the team. I can give leadership, responsibility and I have to show that as well.

"I try to be an example and to train in a proper way for everyone to see you training that way. Give some advice to the young lads as well and keep playing well, this is the most important thing."

It may be a question of whether Ten Hag agrees with him.

Ten Hag has had more than his fair share of crises in his short time as Manchester United manager.

A poor start to the season was compounded by Cristiano Ronaldo's very public exit demands, while he was also forced to exclude Jadon Sancho from his plans as he struggled with mental health and fitness issues.

With that in mind, you wouldn't blame the Dutchman for dealing with Fernandes internally and simply moving on as quickly as possible.

Granted, fans, pundits and players alike are growing tired of the midfielder's histrionics, but he is a born winner and clearly has a deep-rooted desire to propel the Red Devils back to greatness.

If there's one man who understands Manchester United in and out, it's Marcus Rashford.

But aside from his lifelong association with the club, this is a promotion that the forward has truly earned this season as he hit the form of his life after the World Cup.

Supposedly already a member of Ten Hag's leadership team, Rashford has looked 10ft tall during his extraordinary scoring streak that has seen him race onto 25 goals for the season in all competitions.

At 25, he is no longer a kid and has evidently become more vocal on the pitch, demonstrating his leadership credentials. It would be a massively popular appointment among the fanbase, too.

An experienced, world-class defensive midfielder who has won just about everything there is to win in club football. This just seems like the easy answer.

At Real Madrid, Casemiro's leadership ability was perhaps concealed as he shared a pitch with born figureheads such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos etc, etc, etc.

But at United, a team that was crying out for leaders, he has stood out as a pillar of authority who commands respect, with his footballing wisdom surely invaluable to those around him as he elevates the performances those around him.

The possible downsides to this solution is the potential language barrier - although that is something the club could work on behind the scenes - and longevity, with the Brazilian now 31 years old.

However, even in the short-term this is surely the best option available to Ten Hag.