With Lukaku and Sanchez facing Barcelona this week, seven ex-Man Utd stars excelling away from Old Trafford
MANCHESTER UNITED have had a rocky start to the season and it's felt all the more brutal with former players, who were deemed not good enough for the club, excelling elsewhere.
The Red Devils welcome Arsenal to Old Trafford tonight and after United's resounding 2-0 defeat at the hands of West Ham last time out, a defeat would spell near disaster for the club.
United sit 11th in the Prem having scored just eight goals from their six games so far.
Later this week they travel to Holland for a Europa League tie with AZ Alkmaar. The good times these are not.
Yet ironically, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez - two players cut loose as they weren't considered right for the Red Devils - will be playing a glamour tie at the Nou Camp when their side Inter Milan face Barcelona.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has had to field questions about the wisdom of letting them go, so much so the Norwegian has now demanded a new forward in January for his toothless side.
But Lukaku and Sanchez aren't the only ones thriving away from the Theatre of Dreams, they are among a collection of players cut loose since Jose Mourinho took charge in 2016 who will be glad to have left Manchester United...
ROMELU LUKAKU
The Belgian has had a roller coaster start to San Siro life.
He was embroiled in a racism row after Cagliari fans made monkey chants towards him.
He was also involved in a dressing room spat with teammate Marcelo Brozovic after their Champions League draw with Slavia Prague.
But the 26-year-old has also scored three goals in six Serie A games to propel his team to top spot in the League.
ALEXIS SANCHEZ
Not too many Man Utd fans were sad to see the back of the Chilean.
And his start to his Nerazzurri career has been almost as eventful as Lukaku's.
He scored on his first Inter start before being sent off for diving shortly after.
The 30-year-old was also involved in Lukaku's dressing room bust up - intervening to separate the pair.
But in his three Serie A appearances so far he has already looked better and he will be happy in the knowledge that he could face his former team Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday while United line up for a Europa League game against AZ Alkmaar on Thursday.
ANDER HERRERA
The 30-year-old was a fan favourite at Old Trafford and many could not understand why he was allowed to leave for Paris Saint Germain in the summer.
The Spanish midfielder has featured three times in Ligue 1 this season and came on for 20 minutes in their Champions League opener - the stunning 3-0 win over Real Madrid.
He did get injured before he'd even kicked a ball for the French champions but he seems to be finding his feet now while his new team sit top of the table.
CHRIS SMALLING
Englishman Smalling is on loan at Italian giants Roma after Solskjaer could not give him any first team assurances going into the season.
The centre-half has played two full games for the Italians - a 2-0 defeat to Atalanta before putting in a man-of-the-match performance in a 1-0 victory at Lecce on Sunday.
The 29-year-old's announcement video also helped find a missing child.
DALEY BLIND
Blind left Old Trafford in the summer of 2018 in a £14million deal and the Dutchman walked away with a £4m severance package.
But since returning to his old club Ajax, he has won the Eredivisie and reached last season's Champions League semi-final which his team lost to Tottenham.
Ajax are currently top of the league again and are unbeaten in their first eight games.
ADNAN JANUZAJ
Januzaj promised big things at Old Trafford but it never really came to fruition for the Belgian.
But he is currently strutting his stuff at Real Sociedad who sit higher in La Liga (fifth) than United do in the Prem.
The 24-year-old blamed Mourinho for his United axe after he left the club in the summer of 2017 having made just 31 appearances in five years for the Red Devils.
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MEMPHIS DEPAY
Depay failed to live up to expectations at Old Trafford after he joined from PSV Eindhoven for £25million in 2015.
He scored just two Premier League goals in 33 appearances for United before he left to join Lyon in 2017.
But the 25-year-old has managed to reignite his career in France and he produced a moment of magic during a recent win over Angers.
The Dutchman has five goals from eight games so far this season and is also spearheading his nation's recent resurgence on the international stage.
