Man Utd lost two key central defenders, coach Ten Hag still made Maguire sad

Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane both suffered injuries in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final against Sevilla on April 14, making Man Utd's defense more fragile than ever. Martinez's condition is particularly serious as he suffered an ankle injury and will be out for the rest of the season.

Martinez injured his ankle and will be out for the rest of the season (Photo: Getty).

Previously, left-back Luke Shaw suffered an injury and is still uncertain whether he will be able to return to the field this weekend when the "Red Devils" visit Nottingham Forest in round 31 of the Premier League.

Normally, the Dutch strategist will have to use the central defender duo Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof to guard the defense in the upcoming match. However, Harry Maguire did not receive the trust of coach Ten Hag when he often made mistakes, especially he was the culprit causing the own goal that caused Man Utd to be held to a 2-2 draw by Sevilla when the match was less than a minute away from ending.

As for Victor Lindelof, the Swedish centre-back has mostly been on the bench this season as he has been unable to compete for a place with Martinez and Varane.

Teden Mengi is likely to be selected to play in Man Utd's away match at Nottingham Forest (Photo: Getty).

According to the Mirror, in the match against Nottingham Forest, coach Ten Hag plans to do something surprising by promoting center-back Teden Mengi from the youth team to the first team to fill the position left by Martinez or Varane.

“People believe he is ready for it, you see examples at Ajax. Players who play in another league, like Matthijs de Ligt, were given the captaincy at 18.

You can see something special in these players. Teden has something special for me. It's about choosing the right moment to give him a chance," coach Ten Hag said at a press conference before the match of round 31 of the Premier League.

Bjorn Hardley is a mainstay in the Man Utd U23 squad and has just been promoted to the first team (Photo: Getty).

Another interesting option is Bjorn Hardley, who has come through the Red Devils' academy. The 20-year-old Dutchman has been a mainstay for the Man Utd U23s throughout the season, with his excellent form earning him a place in the side.

Manager Ten Hag called up the young defender to train with the first team yesterday alongside Lindelof and is likely to give him a start in the away game at Nottingham.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/man-utd-mat-hai-trung-ve-tru-cot-hlv-ten-hag-van-khien-maguire-chanh-long-20230415144737504.htm