Pranav Nair
Erik ten Hag sheds light on why Raphael Varane was absent for Manchester United vs Brentford
It took moments of magic and grit but Manchester United pulled off a stunning comeback against Brentford on Saturday night despite missing first-team stars such as Raphael Varane.
The Frenchman is arguably the Red Devils’ best centre-back but was not included in the matchday squad against the Bees. Erik ten Hag went into the clash with the reinstated Harry Maguire and veteran Jonny Evans at the back.
Varane’s absence was surprising given that he had played our last three games since returning from a month-long injury absence. His unavailability sowed seeds of chaos in our backline and Brentford capitalised with an early lead.
Thankfully, we were able to turn the tie on its head in the dying minutes. Speaking to Pien Meulensteen of Sky Sports before kick-off via the club’s official website, Ten Hag confirmed exactly why his side had to take to the field sans Varane.
“He couldn’t make the game, he had a minor issue.”
While the Frenchman’s quality is unquestionable, his injury concerns limit his impact on the team. The likes of Andre Onana have not inspired confidence, meaning it falls upon players like Varane ahead of him to step up and show leadership.
Varane played the entire 90 minutes of our midweek clash against Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League. Ten Hag confirmed that the veteran could have faced Brentford had there been a larger gap between fixtures.
“If it was two or three days longer [between matches], he could have made it but now it was too short.”
The Dutchman’s decision is the right one given Varane’s regular injury troubles. It makes little sense for us to overplay him and risk another setback that will sideline him during crucial junctures of the season.
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While Varane is arguably our best centre-back in the current roster, Manchester United have shown little defensive resilience this season. After all, his presence did little to thwart Galatasaray at Old Trafford of all places.
The onus is on Ten Hag to ensure that his defence can be more than the sum of their individual parts. For now, they can celebrate but it will count for little unless players step up in the coming weeks.
