How Defensive Injuries Saved Juan Mata's Manchester United Career

While a plague of injuries has caused Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal no shortage of headaches in his first season at Old Trafford, it has perhaps saved Juan Mata's career at the club.

Though he was widely expected to have been propped in the shop window for next month, it now looks as though the playmaker is set to stay put, with Tuttosport reporting on Wednesday that the Red Devils recently rebuffed Juventus' approach for the 26-year-old, according to Football Italia.

The Daily Express pegged the Bianconeri bid at £18 million. (United paid Chelsea just over £37 million for the Spain international last January.)

It was only in September that Tuttosport had Mata headed to Juventus for £24 million, per the Daily Mail. Less than three weeks later, Goal.com reported that Valencia was readying a £30 million offer for their one-time midfielder.

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The day before, Wayne Rooney had picked up a red card against West Ham, and his subsequent three-match ban seemed to provide Mata the chance to finally make an impression on Van Gaal. He started against both Everton and West Bromwich Albion but was then withdrawn at home against Chelsea and was an unused substitute away to both Manchester City and Arsenal.

It was Luke Shaw's early exit in the latter encounter that, in a single stroke, changed many thing. It left United without a healthy, recognised full-back. It instigated Ashley Young's string of impressive performances as a makeshift wing-back. It forced Van Gaal to revert to the three-man defense he had tried to get away from. And it also brought Mata back into the team, beginning with the following week's match against Hull.

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He has started all seven of United's matches since then and contributed two goals and two assists in the month of December.

Suddenly, and perhaps unexpectedly, he is among the first names on the team-sheet. He is an important piece of an attacking corps that continues to compensate for a wobbly defense that has been repeatedly hit by injuries this season.

And it's those injuries (Shaw, right-back Rafael and central defenders Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Jonny Evans and Marcos Rojo have all missed significant time this term)—and the switch to a 3-4-1-2 formation they've forced—to which he can credit his current prominence in the side.

While the Spaniard is typically deployed in the hole behind the two centre-forwards, and aided by Rooney's move to a deeper role alongside Michael Carrick, Mata's runs, flicks and passes have become integral to United's buildup play. The more populated midfield ensures a bevy of options when he's on the ball.

Of course, the impending return of record signing Angel Di Maria—nevermind the recoveries of Shaw and Rafael—could once again prompt a change in system from Van Gaal, but at the moment Mata has made himself important enough for United to fend off Juventus' advances.

He won't be going anywhere this winter, and based on his present form, he may have won over Van Gaal for the long term as well.

In every crisis there is an opportunity, and Mata is proof of that.

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