If you thought that Gareth Southgate picking and starting Harry Maguire was a risk, it pales in comparison to Diego Alonso's faith which he has in Facundo Pellistri.
The 20-year-old has yet to play a game for United's first team and he has become an almost permanent fixture on the substitute bench at Old Trafford. Pellistri has, by no stretch of the imagination, struggled to impose himself at the Reds.
Two loan spells to Alaves which failed to pull up any trees have not helped and at this stage he appears to be miles off a regular starting berth. That is why it was so surprising to see him start against South Korea in Uruguay's opening match of the World Cup.
Alonso may well see more in him than Erik ten Hag but even through that lens it seemed puzzling that Pellistri was deemed worthy of a start over the likes of Edinson Cavani. Whatever the Uruguay coach's reasoning was for this, Ten Hag will have no doubt have been intrigued by how Pellistri would perform.
After all, it was his agent Edgardo Lasalvia who backed Pellistri to have a good World Cup earlier this month. South Korea was the perfect opponent for the 20-year-old to make this case.
However, what followed was mediocre at best. When you consider Pellistri needs to be outperforming Marcus Rashford, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho to get in the squad, it was disappointing.
Thursday's match was by no means Pellistri's last chance of proving a point to Ten Hag though. Up next for Uruguay is Portugal which is arguably their toughest test of the group stages.
Portugal's squad is crammed with top European talent and if Pellistri was to impress against them, he could have the chance to change Ten Hag's opinion of him. A performance like that, though, would come out of the blue if it were to happen.
In January, one of Ten Hag's key priorities will be to strengthen his attack. With Ronaldo leaving, this has become a necessity.
More so than before during his spell in Manchester, Pellistri has an opportunity to cement himself in United's starting XI. The only way he will be able to do that though is by showing more than he did against the Koreans.
If he doesn't, Erik ten Hag could have a decision to make.