The Ivory Coast international was expected to play a sizeable role this season after an impressive loan at Sunderland last year but a knee injury in the summer saw him sidelined until the end of the year.
Amad made his return to action at the backend of December but has been an unused substitute in eight of United’s last 13 Premier League matches.
He came off the bench to score the winning goal in United’s stunning FA Cup victory over Liverpool last month, while he also gave an encouraging and lively cameo against Coventry City at the weekend despite the team’s implosion.
Yet despite United struggling with injuries, the 21-year-old has only racked up 172 minutes of action this season and plenty of fans would like to see more of him.
United legend Gary Neville actually described it as ‘odd’ how little game time Amad has received, while the player himself recently put out a rather cryptic tweet.
Ten Hag now concedes that Amad should have received more game time and opportunities this season and he is very happy with his development, though he plays in the one area of the pitch where the Dutchman is blessed with options.
Asked about the winger’s lack of opportunities, Ten Hag said: ‘Amad deserves it [to play more] but don’t forget he was injured for a long period of the season.
‘So we rebuilt him, he’s now had some opportunities, he’s really contributed.
‘But also he played in a position that is not his best position, I would say. Started as a striker but then he has to play in the midfield, so he did well.
‘But we have a number of players in that area, there’s big competition there, and actually he already has deserved more minutes I would say.
‘But I have to choose there, because we have Alejandro Garnacho, we have Antony, we have him, we have Omari Forson.
‘So we have some players in that position, a number of players, and we have to make choices there.
‘But I am very happy with his performances, with his progress, and I see his qualities. He has some assets that can really contribute to our game.’
United are sweating over the fitness of a host of players after their exerts in the FA Cup, with Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay both forced off in the game, and Ten Hag says more players might be required to play out of position just as Casemiro did against Coventry.
Asked whether he will need to get creative with his line-up once again, the Dutchman replied: ‘And still we perform. And also [against Sheffield United] we will be creative and we will put a team out that is able to win that game – even if we have to be really creative.’
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