Jack Ross insists he would have no qualms about handing Aziz Behich a baptism of fire against AZ Alkmaar.
Behich, 31, joined the Tangerines on July 27 after leaving Turkish outfit Giresunspor.
However, he has endured a frustrating wait for his work permit to arrive, forcing him to sit out the Europa Conference League first leg against AZ and subsequent defeat to Livi.
But the red tape wrangle was finally overcome on Tuesday evening, leaving Behich able to line up at the AFAS Stadion.
And, with Behich boasting 52 caps for Australia and more than 300 senior appearances for the likes of PSV Eindhoven, Bursaspor and Istanbul Basaksehir, he is firmly in contention to start.
The United head coach said: “When you have someone with Aziz’s experience, it negates any worries about handling the occasion.
“He’s played in Europe numerous times, has a lot of caps for his country and has played in a lot of big matches in his career
“Aziz is tough, robust and naturally in a good condition.”
Reflecting on the wait for Behich’s availability, Ross added: “He’s a passionate lad and you could see him get increasingly frustrated. So when we contacted him to say it was all done, he was very happy.
“He has trained really well and has been desperate to be involved.”
Give something back
United will be backed by a bumper 1,300-strong following in Alkmaar, with Arabs snapping up their entire allocation within three hours of them going on sale.
Ross added: “When people invest in travelling in numbers like they have, we want to respond to that and give them something back.”
United take to the field at the AFAS Stadion defending a 1-0 lead following an unforgettable first leg at Tannadice.
Nevertheless, AZ boss Pascal Jansen remains ‘very confident’ his side will progress.
“They will carry the burden of expectation more than us,” said Ross. “But you have to treat each game in isolation.
“I haven’t thought about the first leg scoreline ahead of this game. All we have done is prepare the team against a good side and aim to win the game.
“Our approach will be: trying to win it, knowing that if we do that, we’ll be successful in the tie.”
Conversation