Darren Fletcher chuckles down the end of the phone. He knows the question is coming. “There are a lot of similarities between us, yes,” the former Manchester United midfielder says, anticipating the line of inquiry as well as he did tackles. The topic of conversation is Scott McTominay and another towering performance in a big game from United’s increasingly influential young midfielder.

With the injured Paul Pogba again missing, it was the Scotland international, still six weeks shy of his 23rd birthday, who set the tone in midfield in United’s 2-1 Carabao Cup win at Chelsea on Wednesday. First for ball recoveries, interceptions, tackles and fouls won, second for touches and third for pass accuracy - and let’s not forget his vocal leadership, which is much harder to quantify, more on which later - there is good reason why McTominay is being talked about, inside and outside the club, as a captain in waiting.

“I think he’s been arguably United’s best player this season and a driving force,” Fletcher told Telegraph Sport. “In the last few weeks, especially since Paul’s gone down injured, Scott’s almost stepped up to be more of a box-to-box midfielder and goal threat, which is probably more of his natural position.