Lindelof has played twice for United this season.

Because of the performance he turned in during his lone start of the season so far, Victor Lindelof is currently Manchester United's fourth-choice central defender.

A month ago, he and Harry Maguire were on the field for the entirety of their team's 1-0 loss to Real Sociedad in the Europa League. Since then, they hadn't been seen again until Sunday. During the first half, the Sweden captain came on as a substitute for the injured Raphael Varane. Meanwhile, the club captain, Sean Maguire, was also unable to play due to injury.

During the previous campaign, Lindelof was able to play in more matches than expected as a result of Varane's ongoing injuries. Overall, he racked up 35 appearances, which was more than the first-choice defender Varane's 29.Even less so than in the previous campaign, it was not anticipated that he would play such a significant role in this one. Maguire has been pushed even farther down the food chain as a result of Lisandro Martinez's push to get him out of the side.

On the other hand, it's possible that the 28-year-old just got a lucky little break. Varane is not likely to be sidelined for an extended period of time, but it is possible that he will miss the Europa League match on Thursday away to Omonia.

Even if Maguire were to make a full recovery, it is believed that he would not be fit in time for the trip to Cyprus. As a result, Lindelof might partner Martinez at center back in the absence of Maguire. If neither Varane nor Maguire are able to return to full fitness by Thursday, then the chances of him starting on Sunday against Everton will be significantly reduced.

This presents Lindelof with an opportunity for some short-term redemption. Some supporters consider the defender to be unnecessary "dead wood" that should be cut from the team, while other supporters consider him to be a talented player who should be given more opportunities.

When Eric Bailly was allowed to go on loan to Marseille in the summer, Erik ten Hag was ultimately forced to do the only thing he could, which was to keep hold of Victor Lindelof. This was done for precisely the reason that he is in now. Axel Tuanzebe is still out with an injury, and Phil Jones did not make it into either of the official squads.

It's possible that Lindelof has always been in the running for a starting role against Omonia; nevertheless, with a great performance, he can demonstrate that he is capable of starting against Everton, and therefore convince Ten Hag that he doesn't need to rush either Varane or Maguire back from injury.

It is possible that he will never again be United's first choice starter (his performance versus City provided evidence of this), but he can demonstrate that he still possesses the skills necessary to compete at the highest level if he tries.

And because there are still over eighteen months left on his contract, it will mean that he will hold greater value in advance of a potential sale during the summer of next year.