The loss of eight first-team players is unavoidable at the moment, but the sight of Phil Jones and Juan Mata waiting to come on against Chelsea in 2022 is the most damning indictment of the squad's depth.

Give Mata and Jones the credit they deserve for their contributions to the game as substitutes for the final 11 minutes, a period in which United took control of the game for the first time in the game.

While Ralf Rangnick chose four youths on his bench on this particular night, the sight of two 30-something players who will be leaving the club this summer ready to come on was not missed by anyone. Instead of looking into the future, it was like hopping into the DeLorean and going back in time.

A more forgiving finish would allow the quartet of Alvaro Fernandez, Hannibal Mejbri, Shola Shoretire, and Alejandro Garnacho a chance to shine. Rangnick was correct to point out that the game was still in the balance when he made the double replacement.

This group's lack of squad depth became painfully apparent when Jones and Mata came in, and it is a problem that will only worsen as the summer months approach.

The task ahead of Erik ten Hag is to transform Manchester United into a team capable of competing with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool. Not only are the starting XIs at those clubs far superior to United's, but they also have better options off the bench, particularly for Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, which is a difficult task.

Three of the eight players who were absent last night, Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, and Edinson Cavani, are expected to go this summer. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, United's fourth option, has rarely appeared to be good enough for the club.
Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Fred, and Jadon Sancho are the only players missing from the squad at the moment who are expected to have a significant effect next season, and even in the case of Maguire, the verdict is yet out.

United managed to select nine substitutes despite the rising number of injuries, but only two of them were goalkeepers on the night in question. At least one of Dean Henderson and Tom Heaton will try to leave the club this summer, according to sources close to the club.

Mata, Jones, and Eric Bailly are all senior outfielders who want to move to play more first-team games. Mata is out of contract and leaving.

At least two of the four young players on the bench are expected to be sent out on loan for the upcoming season. It is necessary for Fernandez to gain first-team experience, whereas Hannibal must either become a regular in Ten Hag's squad or go out on loan, and the same may be true for Shoretire.

Nemanja Matic, one of the starters in last night's game, is also expected to leave Manchester United this summer, therefore only two or three of the nine substitutes who came on for Garnacho last night will be available to manager Guus Hiddink in his first season at the club.

In the next months, Ten Hag and football director John Murtough will concentrate on bolstering certain crucial positions, with the central midfield in particular in desperate need of improvement, while Rangnick has already indicated his desire to sign a new forward.

Because United will not be able to deliver Champions League football and because they have rarely been this busy in the past, bringing in five new players this summer would have to be deemed a very successful window. If they can accomplish this, they should be in a better position to enter their first season under Ten Hag than they were this season.

In order to compete with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as Chelsea, United must increase their squad depth, which may take multiple transfer windows to accomplish.