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Harry Maguire is 'proof' that Raphael Varane can turn his career around at Manchester United, as the Frenchman 'accepts' the fact he has been dropped for tactical reasons.
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| With Evans injured, Lindelof started with Harry Maguire |
The World Cup winner has started from the bench in each of his last five games, with Ten Hag favouring Jonny Evans to partner Maguire in central defence.
While Varane was left frustrated by his place on the bench in the defeat to Man City, the Athletic report that the Frenchman has now 'accepted' his absence, with one reason cited being that his lack of selection now is not the end of the world under Erik ten Hag.
Maguire was pushed for a £30m move to West Ham in the summer and after turning it down, against all odds, he has succeeded in becoming the first-choice centre-back.
When Ten Hag was asked at a press conference last Friday about potential trouble brewing with Varane, he dismissed it outright.
The 30-year-old French centre-back spoke to Ten Hag after the United boss publicly said Varane was left out of the Manchester derby for 'tactical' reasons - despite reports he was struggling with fitness - and missed the Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle three days later.
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Coach Erik Ten Hag and center back Raphael Varane |
'Absolutely not,' Ten Hag said when asked if there was a problem with the Varane-Maguire duo. 'As I said, it was tactical reasons why I chose these partners. I think Harry and Jonny did well.
“Last year Harry didn't play much so I was very happy with Rapha's performance. I've always been happy with his performance.
“But at the moment Harry is playing very well and there is internal competition. I always said Harry Maguire could do the job – and now he has shown he can do the job.”
Ten Hag prefers his centre-backs to play on their stronger foot. But with Evans joining left-footers Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw on the injury list, Varane looks set to start Lindelof alongside Maguire for the third time this season against Luton.
The Swede eventually started and scored the only goal against Luton, his fourth for United.
“There are times, in some games, where they (Varane and Maguire) can play together and they have shown that they can do that,” Ten Hag added.
“But the deployment was not smooth when one of them played in the left centre-back position.”
The return of Lisandro Martinez, who only arrived in the new year, will complicate the pecking order, with the Argentine appearing as a stopper on the left of a back four.
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