Before the international break, Manchester United were on a roll by winning their last four Premier League games as they opened their account in their Europa League campaign.
Momentum was building and fans were rightly excited for what was to come. Erik ten Hag had even privately told his team that he felt the team was good enough to challenge cross-town rivals Manchester City.
But it all came crashing down on derby day when United scored six goals and pundits criticized the winger and manager.
Ten Hag started with his trusted partner of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, but Varane was forced to retire injured in the first half.
defensive problems
Victor Lindelof was tasked with accompanying Martinez and the duo also started against Omonia Nicosia in midweek.
Harry Maguire expected to be available in 10-14 days. It means I *should* play some football before the World Cup. https://t.co/c6zwL6MDkd
— Sami Mokbel (@SamiMokbel81_DM) October 6, 2022
And the defense has yet to recover from that thrashing and was once again at fault when United conceded twice in the Europa League on Thursday.
Ten Hag admitted after the narrow win that he was unsatisfied with his side’s recent performances and that the defensive fragility on display will make things difficult considering the opposition coming into the Premier League this month.
United will face the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham, Newcastle and West Ham, while Europa League and Carabao Cup matches will also add to match congestion.
And the Red Devils’ current options behind are pretty limited. Apart from Varane, club captain Harry Maguire is also out after sustaining an injury during the international break.
Martinez and Lindelof are the only two fit centre-backs at Ten Hag’s disposal.
the return of maguire
When asked to specify their comeback dates, Ten Hag said, “In Rapha’s case, I have high hopes. [that he will return soon]. Harry will take a little longer.
With 11 games in just over a month, Ten Hag will need all of their defenders fit and ready to return to their previous form in the league.
According to Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail, Maguire is likely to be fit in the next couple of weeks. “Harry Maguire expected to be available in 10-14 days. Means he *should* play some football before the World Cup,” was the exact tweet from him.
Ten Hag will need to rotate and Maguire needs games to rediscover his form ahead of the World Cup, where he is expected to play a big role with Gareth Southgate.
He’ll likely get at least one game to improve his fitness levels as Ten Hag won’t want to change too much, but his return will help during the jam-packed schedule.
