With the Reds seeking a late winner against Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League - one eventually found by Cristiano Ronaldo, the assist coming from substitute Jesse Lingard - van de Beek was not the player Solskjaer turned to on the bench.
Instead, as well as Lingard, Nemanja Matic, Edinson Cavani, Brazilian midfielder Fred replaced Alex Telles, filling in at left-back as United threw the kitchen sink at the Spanish opposition.
Van de Beek had enjoyed a good performance in spite of defeat a week earlier as West Ham won 1-0 at Old Trafford.