Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has expressed reservations regarding the defensive partnership of Raphael Varane and Harry Maguire.
Varane, surprisingly left out in the 4-3 loss to Copenhagen, saw Jonny Evans take his place alongside a resurgent Maguire. However, Evans suffered an early injury, exacerbating United’s defensive challenges.
With Evans set to be sidelined for the “next few weeks” due to a thigh strain, and Lisandro Martinez also on the treatment table, Ten Hag faces limited options in defense. In addition, left-backs Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are unavailable.
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While Varane and Maguire appear to be the top choices among available defenders, Ten Hag admitted a preference to keep them separate. When asked about the possibility of having both Varane and Maguire in the lineup, Ten Hag conceded, “Ideally, but there are moments in certain games where they can play together and they have already proven they can do it. However, the fluidity in build-up is compromised when one of them operates from the left centre-back position. This is because, in my opinion, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Jonny Evans, and Victor Lindelof are right-footed but can comfortably use their left, allowing for better construction of formations and play.”
“Maguire is doing very well at the moment, and I am very happy with that. As I always said, Maguire can do the job – and now he is showing he can do the job. Rapha Varane always played the games he was available because he was doing that well.”
Confronted with assertions from Manchester United legend Paul Scholes that the ball-playing abilities of Maguire and Evans had made them Erik ten Hag’s preferred defenders, the manager emphasized that his decisions are guided by tactics rather than individual skills.
Ten Hag clarified, “That was never the issue. I believe Rapha performed excellently in partnership with Licha Martinez. He was outstanding. I can also observe effective combinations with Rapha Varane and Evans or with Victor Lindelof. These are solid partnerships chosen for tactical reasons.”
He continued, “What I mentioned last year was that Harry didn’t play much, so I was very pleased with Rapha’s performances. I have consistently been satisfied with his contributions. However, at this moment, Harry is performing exceptionally well, and there is internal competition.”
United will face Luton Town on Saturday, presenting Ten Hag with the decision of selecting between Maguire, Varane, and Lindelof for his starting center-backs.