Manchester United are up against a tough challenge in front of goal for the second season in a row. It's been a while since they've had a centre forward who can consistently find the back of the net.

Rasmus Hojlund was out with a hamstring injury at the start of the 2024/25 season. The £54 million striker joined Manchester United in the summer of 2023 with high hopes. However, he hasn't made much progress over the past 12 months. The start of the new season has also been a bit of a letdown.

Hojlund played twice for Denmark in the November international break, against Spain and Serbia. He played for 79 minutes in the 1-2 loss to Spain and came off the bench for 20 minutes in the 0-0 draw with Serbia.

Hojlund didn't get on the score sheet in either match. He also found it tough going in the duels, winning just three out of nine. The main issue was that the 21-year-old couldn't really get involved in those games. In almost 100 minutes on the pitch, he only attempted 20 passes and didn't make a single key pass.

The former Atalanta striker has also had trouble making an impact for Manchester United recently, and his influence on the pitch remains limited. His last goal was in a Premier League win over Brentford in mid-October. Since then, he's played nine games without scoring or assisting.

The striker has what it takes to flourish in Amorim's 3-4-2-1 system, with the pace to run into the penalty area with quick acceleration. However, if he wants to succeed at Manchester United, he needs to show he can be more reliable.

The Red Devils aren't expected to sign a new striker in January, so until next summer, the Danish striker still has six months to prove to the head coach and fans that he can do the No. 9 job. Otherwise, he and Zirkzee may be sacked soon.