Ander Herrera is facing a battle to re-establish himself as a Manchester United regular under Louis van Gaal.
Herrera, a £28.5million signing from Athletic Bilbao last summer, has been an unused sub for United's last four Premier League encounters.
The Spaniard has been a victim of Marouane Fellaini's resurgence and Michael Carrick's return, and is now facing an uncertain future at United.
And Herrera looks set for a further spell on the bench, with Van Gaal ready to stick with Fellaini and Carrick in midfield for Saturday's visit of Hull to Old Trafford.
Herrera was heralded as the midfield creative force United has been crying out for when the 20-times champions landed him at the second attempt back in July.
David Moyes tried to sign him before he was sacked by United, who went back in for the 25-year-old last summer and secured him, with the blessing of Van Gaal.
But the Dutchman would appear to have lost faith in Herrera, preferring the physicality and robust presence of Fellaini in midfield, while Carrick needs a run there after being out for four months.
Herrera has made just five appearances for United this season, only lasting 90 minutes twice, his last coming in a 2-2 draw at West Brom on October 20, when he was replaced at half-time by Fellaini.
Fellaini scored a superb goal to help earn United a draw and has not been out of the team since, the much-maligned £27m Moyes signing finally proving his worth after a tough first season.
Daley Blind's injury while on international duty with Holland could have opened the door to a first-team return for Herrera, but Van Gaal sees no reason to change Fellaini and Carrick.
The duo performed impressively together in United's 2-1 win away to Arsenal last weekend and Van Gaal is said to like the blend between the pair in the centre of midfield.
Against that backdrop, rumours have emerged of United's willingness to listen to offers for Herrera, even though the Basque-born player is just five months into a four-year contract.
Although that scenario is understood to be premature, it is clear Herrera faces a challenge proving his worth to Van Gaal, particularly with Roma's Dutch midfielder Kevin Strootman likely to be on his way to United in January or - more likely - next summer.
Fellaini's impressive renaissance at United has not gone unnoticed by Hull, whose defender Alex Bruce acknowledged the growing influence of the big Belgium international.
"Louis van Gaal has spent a lot of money and brought in some quality players like Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao," said Bruce.
Last time out: Arsenal 1-2 Manchester United
"There are threats all over the pitch and I think Fellaini has done well in the past few weeks. He scored a great goal at West Brom and it was a huge boost in confidence for him.
"He's been playing well and I think he has been one of United's best players in recent weeks. He's a threat as well as a big physical presence. United will always be a tough team to play against."
Bruce is also expecting a tough afternoon from United skipper Wayne Rooney, who scored the winner in the 2-1 win over Arsenal.
"Wayne is always a threat isn't he?" said Bruce. "He's a great player. I watched the Manchester derby and he nearly scored a great goal with a turn when he ran through, only to be knocked off the ball at the end.
"It shows the quality he has and he's always capable of scoring a great goal at any given moment, like he did at the KC Stadium last season when he produced a little bit of magic with a 25-yard volley from nowhere that got them back into the game. It's one thing we have to keep on top of."