Rio Ferdinand believes the partnership of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez has made difference at Manchester United
Former Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand hopes Raphael Varane returns from his injury soon to pair up with Lisandro Martinez. The ex-defender feels the duo have made a difference since starting together under Erik ten Hag.
United struggled in the opening two games of the season, losing against Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford. Harry Maguire started alongside our centre-back signing from Ajax in those fixtures.
Consequently, the gaffer then dropped our captain for the French 2018 World Cup winner. And the Old Trafford side have looked solid at the back, barring a few setbacks in between against the likes of Manchester City.
Speaking on his Vibe with Five YouTube channel (h/t Metro), Ferdinand, who spent 12 years securing United’s backline, believes the Varane and Martinez partnership in the defence is essential for the Red Devils.
“Martinez has been top this season but Varane gives us that something different, that speed, that experience and physicality. I think he could be a huge loss.”
“You need them two [Varane and Martinez] back together. We’ve seen straight away that those two together make us a different team, it’s as simple as that.”
With the French and Argentine duo in the backline, United went on a four-game win streak in the Premier League after the 4-0 loss at the Gtech Community Stadium.
The Old Trafford side recently beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0, which fans felt was the best performance under Erik Ten Hag. We then visited Stamford Bridge and got away with a 1-1 draw, as Casemiro scored a stoppage-minute equaliser.
Unfortunately, United lost Varane during the course of challenging Graham Potter’s team. The French defender was in tears and was replaced at the hour mark by Victor Lindelof.
The 29-year-old picked up a hamstring injury in the match. And he is set to miss the rest of the Red Devils’ fixture before the start of the World Cup.
More Manchester United News
- Transfer News: Manchester United are interested in Jhon Duran who is also on Liverpool’s radar
- Injury Update: Raphael Varane gets boost for World Cup, but will not play for Manchester United till after that
- Club News: Edwin van der Sar admits that Antony and Lisandro Martinez’s move to Manchester United was hard to swallow
French fans will hope Varane gets fit in time to represent the nation in Qatar. United supporters also wish for the centre-back’s speedy recovery.
