Manchester United loanee Donny van de Beek left out of Eintracht Frankfurt's Europa Conference League squad
Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek, currently on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt, has been left out of the latter's UEFA Europa Conference League squad.
Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg confirmed the news via X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, February 4. He wrote that the Dutchman had been left out as he is still finding his feet after joining the Bundesliga outfit:
"Eintracht Frankfurt have decided not to register Donny van de Beek for the Conference League - confirmed. Internal reason: Van de Beek needs time to find his rhythm."
Van de Beek joined Eintracht on a loan deal until the end of the season from Manchester United during the winter transfer window. Prior to the move, he played just two times for United this season, receiving a meagre 21 regulation minutes on the pitch.
He started three league games for Eintracht upon joining, racking up 172 minutes in total. Van de Beek's statistics didn't particularly stand out, however. He recorded no goals or assists and averaged just 0.3 key passes, 1.0 tackles, 1.3 recoveries and 1.7 total duels won (26% success rate) per game.
This led to him watching the German side's most recent match - a 2-0 Bundesliga defeat to FC Koln - from the bench. He has now been left out of their squad for the Conference League knockouts, which will begin with Eintracht meeting Union Saint-Gilloise in the playoff round. The first leg is scheduled for February 15.
A brief look at Donny Van de Beek's club career since joining Manchester United
Donny Van de Beek moved to Manchester United from Ajax in the summer of 2020. The Red Devils reportedly paid £40 million for his services, which was considered a bargain at the time.
However, the midfielder never got going at Old Trafford. He made 36 appearances across competitions in his debut season, but averaged just over 40 minuntes per game and started on only 15 occasions.
The following season, Van de Beek struggled for time on the pitch once again, playing just 14 times in the first half of the season before being loaned to Everton. His stint at Goodison Park saw him play just seven times due to a thigh injury.
Having returned to Manchester United for the 2022-23 campaign, there was hope that the Dutchman would take off under Erik ten Hag, his former boss at Ajax. However, a knee injury meant he played just 294 regulation minutes across 10 matches.
Van de Beek's drop in the pecking order meant he played just twice in the first half of the ongoing season before joining Eintracht Frankfurt.