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This article is part of Football FanCast's Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba's haircuts to League Two relegation battles...

Despite Manchester United's midfield plans seemingly revolving around the future of Paul Pogba, the departure of Ander Herrera to PSG on a free transfer has already robbed the side of a first-team midfielder.

The Spaniard's exit was reported to be based around the Red Devils' unwillingness to bow to his extortionate wage demands, but as the saying goes, as one door closes, another door opens.

Step through Scott McTominay and Andreas Pereira. The midfield duo made real strides last season under both Jose Mourinho and then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and the latter has now name-checked the duo as players who should be looking to progress even further.

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The United boss said: "Andreas I expect a lot more from, Scotty I expect a lot more from. Those two between them had maybe 15, 20 starts last season. You expect them to have at least 20 each this season maybe even more. That’s maybe two players into one that can replace Ander (Herrera)."

Despite Solskjaer's comments, both face a rather intriguing season ahead as United look to return to Champions League football. As the team as a whole struggled last season, so did McTominay and Pereira, with their versatility sometimes proving to be a poisoned chalice.

Predominantly a central midfielder, McTominay found himself playing in the holding position, a more box-to-box role and even as a centre-back. Pereira on the other hand was used across six positions last year according to Transfermarkt, ranging from attacking midfield to the wing to even a go at right-back.

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Whilst the ability to play across a wide range of positions is certainly an admirable trait, there is a real cause for concern that the duo could lose their grounding as to where they could potentially make their mark. In essence, both Solskjaer and Mourinho saw them as the jack of all trades, rather than a master of one.

But with Herrera gone, and speculation intensifying that Pogba could well be leaving too, there is certainly room for both McTominay and Pereira to nail down a spot in the first-team and make one position their own. At 22 and 23 respectively, the time has come for the pair of them to lay a serious marker down.