Goalscorer Preview - Manchester United v Wigan Athletic: Javier Hernandez

Mexican striker Javier Hernandez will be under heavy pressure to play well if Wayne Rooney starts from the substitute bench against Wigan Athletic.

Hernandez was given the chance to lead the United attack at a time when Rooney was out with an ankle injury. He has risen to the occasion, scoring three goals in nine games, which includes a match winning brace against Stoke City.

Hernandez is at his best when he is given a free role in attack. If he starts this game then his partner will either be Dimitar Berbatov or Rooney. This means he will be playing beside another striker who is very good at holding the ball up. Hernandez can drop off into the midfield to pick up the ball before running at the opposition defence.

His pace instantly pushes opposition defenders onto the back foot, which means it’s very difficult to defend against the Mexican when he is running at full pace. His intelligence in running off the ball is improving all the time.

Sir Alex Ferguson should be looking for his team to go out and attack from the off against Wigan. This means slick passing as well as a lot of pace down either flank of the pitch. Hernandez gets into good goalscoring positions and a best price of 21/20 on Hernandez scoring at any time looks decent value. He is also 4/1 to score the first goal of the game.

Hernandez scored 15 goals in total through the whole of last season for Mexican side Guadalajara. He has already exceeded this tally by 12 goals for the 2010/11 season making his current total 27 over a variety of different competitions.

Hernandez is a very young man at 22-years-old but he is no different from a striker ten years his senior. He thrives on confidence and the added pressure of possibly losing his place in the team should cause him to raise his performance levels significantly.