5 Manchester United players with the least minutes played in the 2021-22 season

Some players in the Manchester United squad have been largely absent from the field during the 2021-22 season

Manchester United kicked off their campaign on a high after the homecoming of their favorite son Cristiano Ronaldo. The Red Devils started off well, but a dip during the mid-season led to the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjær.

Solskjær's exit paved the way for the highly experienced Ralf Rangnick to take charge. Even though the club saw some rise in team morale, the flow of positive results wasn't constant. The 20-time EPL champions now stand 6th in the table with 50 points and one game played extra than fourth-placed Arsenal, who have 54 points.

Their exit at the hands of Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 added to their misery. The club has tried every possible permutation and combination to achieve the desired results. This also meant many Manchester United players getting an opportunity to prove themselves in the eyes of the manager.

Talking about players who got an opportunity, let's take a look at those ones who have played the least number of minutes for Manchester United, so far, this season.

5. Juan Mata - 177

Juan Mata played most of his minutes in Manchester United's UCL group stage fixtures

The 33-year-old talented midfielder from Spain was the backbone of Manchester United's midfield shortly after his arrival in 2014. The next two years saw Juan Mata being of high service to the club.

The former Chelsea maestro played at least 35 games across all competitions up until the 2017-18 season. He played 32 and 37 games across all competitions in the 2018-19 and the 2019-20 seasons respectively. However, following the 2019-20 season, Mata's appearances kept reducing in numbers.

The current season saw him playing just 177 minutes across all competitions. Most of which came during Manchester United's Champions League group stage fixtures.

First club to record #600 @premierleague wins, very proud to be part of it. @ManUtd #mufc 🔴😎 https://t.co/1FNg8svcdu

4. Daniel James - 128

Daniel James played in 46 games across all competitions during the 2019-20 season

Daniel James was looking good with Ole's Man United but he had to be sacrificed in order to accommodate Cristiano Ronaldo. For a moment, it looked like the Welsh forward had a bright Manchester United future ahead of him. But as of now, he has to face a roadblock.

The 2019-20 season saw James donning the iconic red shirt in 46 games across all competitions. The following season, he featured in 26 games across all competitions for Manchester United.

A fine performance in Manchester United's pre-season helped James achieve a permanent spot in the Red Devils' squad this season. He even started in a couple of games for the club before being off-loaded to Leeds United.

He has joined Leeds on a five-year deal and continues to be a prominent part of the team.

As per @mcgrathmike, Dan James to @LUFC now v close. Club record £30m fee.