Perhaps the most memorable moment of Ángel di María’s Manchester United debut came on 69 minutes. When the digital board went up to show his No7, it was Anderson who entered as the substitute to replace the club’s headline signing.

The incongruity of taking off the £59.7m British transfer record holder – a precautionary measure after he was kicked on the calf, said Louis van Gaal – for a player United are desperate to offload was fitting. This is the territory the 20-times champions currently occupy.

Even when parading one of the game’s true forces, a man who won the Champions League for Real Madrid in May, the weakness of the squad could not be disguised; Anderson’s presence on the bench, never mind his taking to the field, is a sign of the deep-rooted problems at Old Trafford.

Di María’s bow came at a ground that has corrugated roofs, sits in sight of the Lancashire moors and cost roughly a twelfth of the Argentinian’s fee. If there is a certain romance to this welcome to English football, Turf Moor’s raucous atmosphere will have tingled the senses of the man from Rosario whose debut suggested that cash has been spent well.

There were mistakes in his display, but until Di María departed he was United’s best performer on yet another disappointing afternoon for Louis van Gaal and his side.

The first question was where Di María would line up. With 10 players injured and an 11th, Marcos Rojo, unavailable due to work permit problems, Van Gaal’s options were limited. Before the match the manager stated Di María could play in midfield and this proved where he was stationed. He was the partner to Darren Fletcher in the centre of the 3-5-2, though he operated further ahead in attack mode, along the inside-left channel.

From here Di María could surge at Burnley as he did on 20 minutes when a left-footed cross should have been an opening assist. Instead Juan Mata, despite having the ball teed up, slipped, hit the deck, and the chance was gone.

United had started as they played in the 4-0 Capital One Cup humiliation at Milton Keynes Dons on Tuesday. Clumsy passing, a confidence deficit and a lack of a finesse meant Di María waited four minutes until a first touch. Then he took the ball along the left from Rooney and raced at the defence but his return ball to the striker was too heavy.

In Ander Herrera, Michael Carrick and Marouane Fellaini, Van Gaal has three central midfielders injured. A fourth – Tom Cleverley – did not feature in the squad as he is for sale, with Aston Villa interested. The announcement of the agreement between United and Ajax for Daley Blind should deliver more options, but while the utility man can operate in midfield he is a defensive player a class or two below Di María.

If Van Gaal continues to deploy the Argentinian in central midfield and he prospers, he may prove a game changer. The favoured left boot, the quick eye for a killer pass and the searing pace on show here could wreak havoc.

One swoosh of that sweet left found Robin van Persie with a pass that fell precisely into the Dutchman’s path. And the sight of Di María informing Tyler Blackett to push on rather than turn back to goal hinted Van Gaal has acquired a desperately needed leader. There was also a gilded chance to open the scoring in the second half when taking a Rooney pass inside the area but the shot was blocked.

Earlier, the Premier League’s unforgiving nature nearly embarrassed Di María as the ball slipped from his control near the United area and David Jones unloaded an effort that swerved before David de Gea made the save.

Before the game, Van Gaal said: “Angel di María has to show that he shall adapt to the English culture quickly and the English way of playing. His fellow players have to adapt to his qualities too.”

United’s disjointedness means this will take time.