Manchester United partnership might need breaking up after Fenerbahce copied Porto plan

The four goals Manchester United have conceded against Porto and Fenerbahce on their European road trips this season have a common factor. They all came from a flank patrolled by the same two players.

Diogo Dalot and Marcus Rashford started on the left in Portugal, and Porto scored three times with attacks down their right. On a couple of occasions, the full-back and winger were too casual in stopping crosses coming into the penalty area, an approach that cost them when it came to the first goal.

In Istanbul Dalot and Rashford were switched as a pair to the right, but the problems continued. Fenerbahce's equaliser came from an Allan Saint-Maximin cross and while the delivery was brilliant, Dalot and Rashford again failed to do enough to stop the ball coming in.

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As the former Newcastle winger jogged with the ball tight to the left touchline, Dalot and Rashford are several yards infield. At this point Saint-Maximin is on his wrong foot, which should be a good defensive position, but he quickly switches the ball inside to his right foot and the United duo are too slow to react.

They were maybe a couple of yards too central, and Saint-Maximin's quick thinking exposed the positioning and lack of defensive awareness. When he crosses, he still has space to whip an inswinging ball in. It is always going to be challenging to defend.

The same issues have now cropped up at least twice, on both the right and the left, and it is clearly becoming a concern. For whatever reason, this combination of full-back and winger isn't working.

Dalot has had a poor start to the season. His lack of awareness was exposed when Brennan Johnson opened the scoring for Tottenham, and he failed to do enough to stop Ethan Pinnock heading Brentford into the lead last weekend. He hasn't found it easy settling into an unfamiliar left-back slot and is now being moved from right to left on a fairly regular basis.

Rashford's defensive work has often been questioned, but his attitude and work rate have been good this season. While his defensive understanding with Dalot doesn't appear particularly strong, Saint-Maximin should have been Dalot's responsibility on Thursday night.

With Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw both training on the grass, Erik ten Hag will hope to have a natural left-back available within the next month or so, but Lisandro Martinez has emerged as a viable option this week. As a left-footer, he brings some natural balance to the side.

There is an argument that Dalot now needs a break. Since the start of last season, he has been one of United's best performers, but his workload has been intense. Noussair Mazraoui could take his place on the right.

Perhaps it is just a partnership thing. Rashford used to have a superb connection with Shaw down the left, but that has hardly been seen since the start of last season. They started together just eight times last season.

They could be reunited soon, but Rashford is playing on the right at the moment, with Alejandro Garnacho on the left. If he plays in front of Dalot again this weekend than all eyes will be on them from a defensive point of view, rather than in an attacking sense.