When you try to imagine a path to victory for Manchester United on Merseyside, Tyneside or in Istanbul next week the biggest impediment is working out who, exactly, is going to score the goals.

It is a testing week on the road for a side who are without a statement away win under Erik ten Hag but their task is made more difficult by the form of their forwards and the total absence of goals in this side. United are missing a striker who has no goals in nine Premier League games at the moment but that loss is going to be felt keenly in this side.

Rasmus Hojlund is yet to translate his Champions League form (five goals in four games) to domestic matters but it feels like a matter of time. Yet the Dane limped off against Luton before the international break with a muscle strain and although it is hoped he will be back by the time of the trip to Newcastle a week on Saturday, he isn't yet training again and looks all but certain to miss the trip to Goodison Park this weekend.

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Without Hojlund, Ten Hag is likely to select a front three that have scored a combined three goals in 47 games this season. Or he could bring Antony back for Alejandro Garnacho and change the equation to two goals in 44 games. Either way, it's going to be a team desperately out of touch in front of goal.

Marcus Rashford's 30 goals last season are already fading to a distant memory and he has just one for United this season, way back at the start of September at Arsenal. Anthony Martial, who is likely to replace Hojlund, has one in 15 games, although only four have been starts. Going back to the end of last season, Martial has scored three in his last 27 games and the 27-year-old no longer looks up to being even the second-choice striker for Ten Hag.

Garnacho started ahead of the woefully out-of-form Antony against FC Copenhagen and Luton but he remains raw and isn't yet scoring enough goals. That charge could also be laid at the door of the Brazilian, however, an £85million flop who hasn't scored this season and has eight in 56 games since his over-priced arrival from Ajax.

Bruno Fernandes has contributed in front of goal, although not as often as he would have liked. He has four goals in 17 games, two of which have been penalties, but if United are to win against a fired-up Everton then he is as likely to be the hero as anyone.

It's instructive to look at the games United have won this season and identify the players responsible for it. Fernandes was the match-winner against Nottingham Forest, Burnley and Fulham and it was a collective effort in the comfortable Carabao Cup success against Crystal Palace.

But against Wolves, it was Raphael Varane who got the winner and against Brentford Scott McTominay was the hero. Diogo Dalot stepped up to score against Sheffield United, Harry Maguire scored in the 1-0 win at home to FC Copenhagen and Victor Lindelof got the only goal of the game against Luton.

These are bonus moments, when defenders or deeper midfielders win tight games. It isn't a strategy to be relied on if this team is to challenge for the top four. In United's nine wins this season, it is telling none of their forwards has really made the difference and become a match-winner.

That is a damning failure and if it's a narrative that hasn't changed by the end of next week then it might have been a difficult seven days for United and Ten Hag, although the Dutchman is confident it will all come together soon, particularly for Rashford.

"He has proven it across all his career. He's scored more than 100 goals already in the Premier League," he said. "He scored last season; 30 goals, so there will come a moment in this season that it clicks.

"I think every striker, in the moment, has a period that he is not scoring. And then every striker starts to [over] think and when it happens, you know you were right and then you missed a moment because you have only a split moment.

"In the Premier League, Champions League, opponents defend so well, not only as individuals but as a team.

"You have to take benefit from that split moment to make it count that you have that half-a-yard split second and score a goal."

Sunday's trip to the team 19th in the Premier League is far more daunting than it looks on paper. Everton's position is a false one given their 10-point deduction for breaching financial rules has been applied and the injustice the club are feeling over that punishment will be motivation for a group of in-form players and ammunition for supporters to create a lively atmosphere.

Then comes Wednesday night in Istanbul a must-win Champions League fixture against Galatasaray, before Saturday night's trip to Newcastle, who will be looking to rival United for a place in the top four this season.

It feels essential that United, for so long disappointing on the road under Ten Hag, win at least one of those games, ideally two. To do just that they are going to need a match-winner this week and it might have to be someone different.