Rasmus Hojlund has had a promising start to life at Manchester United, despite not quite hitting the ground running.

It is now more obvious why Rasmus Hojlund was chosen by Manchester United as their best option to bolster their forward line after just 87 minutes of play.

Even though he hasn’t scored in either of his first two matches for the club, things might have turned out drastically differently if a VAR call hadn’t been made. In Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford, the Danish international felt he had scored to mark his official United debut, but VAR determined that Marcus Rashford had carried the ball out of play during the build-up.

The 20-year-old was denied his big break after being acquired from Atalanta last month for an original cost of £64 million. Nevertheless, despite all of the ongoing discontent and worry at the club, his first Old Trafford performance was one that was positive.

Hojlund, who scored eleven goals for Atalanta last season, was unexpectedly used in a classic front-two alongside Rashford. He led the line admirably, remaining active and aggressive until his substitution in the 64th minute. A group of locals began to boo when Anthony Martial took his spot.

The decision to remove the young player from the game was criticized by the crowd. However, Ten Hag acknowledged during the game that it was a pre-planned action to handle Hojlund’s ongoing injury recuperation.

He had a stress fracture in his back when he arrived at Old Trafford last month, delaying his United debut. Since Denmark defeated Northern Ireland 1-0 in June, and even then, he was replaced in extra time, he has not played the full 90 minutes.

Hojlund was a second-half substitute in both of Denmark’s recent international matches, so it is obvious that United wants to carefully control his workload. This is a strategy shared by the Danish national team as well. As his minutes increase, he will only grow stronger.

Despite having played just over a fortnight ago as a second-half substitution against Arsenal and then being substituted out just after the hour against Brighton, he has yet to play the full 90 minutes in United colors. With a little bit more luck, he might have had a big impact on both games. In addition to having his goal against the Seagulls disallowed by VAR, Hojlund was a significant player in the decision that led to Alejandro Garnacho’s contentious late goal at the Emirates Stadium being called off.

He played a deft back-heel that put Casemiro in a position to send Garnacho through. Hojlund’s debut would have included a crucial pass at a pivotal point in a significant match had Garnacho not delayed his run by a millisecond.

Even though he has yet to directly contribute to a goal for United, his first two matches have given fans a good idea of what he will bring to the table in terms of superb movement, physicality, pace, a real goal threat, and a very likeable demeanor. He demonstrated passion and tenacity in his celebration of the goal that wasn’t scored against Brighton, two qualities that Ten Hag frequently looks for in all of his recruits.

Many of Hojlund’s prior coaches have noted his passion and drive to achieve, and one of them recently stated that he understands the value of hard effort. That is why United’s fans are fast warming up to him since it was clear in his first two games.

A little more than a week ago, following Denmark’s 1-0 victory over Finland, he addressed the traveling supporters with a stirring megaphone speech, which won him support and admiration. His mindset and desire for accomplishment were evident, and those in Manchester soon praised the speech.