Injury has limited Aaron Wan-Bissaka to just nine appearances so far this season (Photo: Getty)
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has nothing but respect for Wilfried Zaha with the former teammates set for a reunion when Manchester United travel to Galatasaray.
United must not lose against the Turkish giants on Wednesday evening or else they will be knocked out of the Champions League.
With their league form picking up – three straight wins with no goals conceded – there is renewed belief that they can qualify for the knockout stage, despite losing three of their opening four group games.
To aid their cause, a number of key players have recently returned from injury, including Wan-Bissaka who has missed much of the season with a hamstring issue.
And Erik ten Hag may well call upon the right-back on Wednesday when he will be faced with the task of keeping his former Crystal Palace teammate Zaha quiet.
The former United winger scored in Galatasaray’s 3-2 win at Old Trafford in October, and has six goals and two assists in 15 appearances for the club since joining them over the summer.
Wan-Bissaka is well aware of the threat the 31-year-old poses and says that training against him at Palace helped him hone his renowned, one-on-one defensive skills.
Wilfried Zaha and Wan-Bissaka starred for Crystal Palace together for two seasons (Photo: Getty)
‘We’re still in contact. When I saw the draw, I thought about it,’ the 26-year-old told the official Manchester United website.
‘I’m happy for him to go out there and he’s playing well for them now. I think he’s enjoying it.
‘He’ll just be looking forward to the competition in that different league and also in the Champions League.
More: Trending
‘You know, even from when I was training with him at Palace, I respected him a lot. That was the battle we had. That helped me as a player as well.
‘You just never know with him, on what day, and you have just got to be prepared. Obviously, you just play your own game and, all that comes, you deal with it then.’
Since joining United from Palace in 2019, Wan-Bissaka has come up against Zaha three times and on each occasion the Ivory Coast forward failed to score or assist.
MORE : Chelsea to reject Fulham’s approach for Armando Broja in January
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.