Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag will likely be keeping a close eye on the members of his squad who are currently away on international duty, with this week's fixtures allowing players the chance to showcase their talents for their country.

One nation, in particular, that the Dutchman will be monitoring is that of Portugal, with the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Cristiano Ronaldo and Diogo Dalot all forming a key part of Fernando Santos' glittering squad.

The European outfit only recently strolled past the Czech Republic after cruising to a thumping 4-0 victory away from home on Saturday evening, with the aforementioned Dalot arguably the star performer having netted twice on what was a fine night for the 23-year-old.

The former Porto gem hadn't netted for club or country for almost 566 days since last doing so while on loan at Serie A side AC Milan back in March 2021, although ended that barren run in brutal fashion with two clinical finishes from his right-back berth.

The £25.2m-rated man's first effort saw the defender latch on to Rafael Leao's pull back to slot home on his left foot to open the scoring, before again firing in on his weaker foot after the break with what was a stunning, curling effort from distance.

That performance ultimately saw the Braga-born ace record a match rating of 9.1, as per SofaScore, with that by far the highest figure for any player for either side on the night.

As Statman Dave suggested, that display - in a game which also saw Fernandes register a goal and an assist - was a continuation of the "electric" form that the £25k-per-week menace has shown in recent weeks at club level, having finally nailed down a regular role back at Old Trafford.

The six-cap starlet had been tipped for big things by then-United boss Jose Mourinho upon his arrival in England on a £19m deal back in the summer of 2018, although initially struggled to force his way into the side, making just 20 Premier League appearances across his first two seasons at the club.

After returning from a loan stint in Italy last term, the arrival of interim boss Ralf Rangnick saw the youngster take on a more prominent role in the side as he made 19 top-flight starts, while he has since started all six league games under Ten Hag in the 2022/23 campaign thus far.

Firmly established ahead of £50m flop Aaron Wan-Bissaka, the 6-foot machine has been one of the standout figures under the new United boss in recent games, with his average match rating of 7.07 the fifth-highest among his teammates so far this term.

To see him replicate that form at international level is a marker of the confidence with which Dalot is playing at present, with Ten Hag likely to be raving over the great strides that the Portuguese gem has made under his management in the space of just a few months.