Goalscorer Preview - Manchester United v Stoke City: Javier Hernandez

Javier Hernandez will be the man to fill in should Sir Alex Ferguson make any tweaks to his front line.

Hernandez has not had the run of games in the Manchester United side that his early season form would have suggested. However, his performances this season and his goal against West Brom mean that he is next in line if Wayne Rooney or Dimitar Berbatov is rested over the next few games.

Hernandez seems to thrive when he is thrown into a situation where he has nothing to lose. He is always playing with quality and experience at Manchester United, which takes the pressure and expectation away from the Mexican. This makes his job in attack easier.

The biggest asset that this striker has is that he seems to run around the pitch like a headless chicken for however long he is given to play. His improvisation is very good because of this because he’ll often get into pockets of space and unique situations because of his enthusiasm.

However, he also has the attributes that a more responsible striker will need to do well at United. There will come a time during his career when he is asked to carry the attack of the team. His ball control and ability to bring others into play should ensure he is able to do this.

Hernandez has managed to get a tally of five goals so far this season in the Premier League. This suggests he has something about him and it’s doubtful that United will allow the Mexican to reach a situation where he wants away from the club.

He is productive and is simply unfortunate to be out of the side at this moment. He has a goalscoring ratio of just over one goal every two games. He is a great bet at 5/1 to score the first goal of the game against Stoke and is 13/10 to score at any point.