Paul Scholes has suggested that Erik ten Hag may be forced to make drastic changes to his Manchester United squad in light of Raphael Varane’s injury.
The Frenchman picked up an injury against Chelsea yesterday, ruling him out of United’s next six games in the run-up to the World Cup.
With Varane having forged a fantastic partnership with Lisandro Martinez, the news is a huge blow for Ten Hag.
And Scholes has questioned how United will deal with the former Real Madrid player’s absence, as the club’s other defenders lack his quality:
“The rest of them … Lindelof is going to come in pretty slow, Maguire, we know the issues he’s had, we know Martinez is not a one-on-one defender.”
That last comment seems a bit strange, considering that Lisandro Martinez has been dribbled just 0.3 times per 90 minutes, the same as Varane, and has more ball recoveries from deep position than any other United player.
However, Scholes still has a point.
Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire are considerably lower in quality than Varane any way you look at it, and both have struggled in a United shirt at various times over the years.
Introducing a weaker defensive unit could force Ten Hag to make changes to other parts of the field, according to Scholes:
“You wonder how that’s going to affect the team, especially in the middle of the field because you’re going to think he’s going to have to play two holding players to protect whatever is behind him.”
If he hadn’t done so already, signing Casemiro in the summer must seem like an excellent deal for United now, as months ago Scholes’s comment would have thrown United fans into nightmarish cold sweats at the prospect of the man’s resurrection. dreaded ‘McFred’ camaraderie.
However, even with Casemiro in the flank, playing with McTominay or Fred at his side would likely spell trouble for Christian Eriksen, who has been vital to United’s progression of the ball from deeper areas this season.
Varane’s injury could send shock waves through the team that go far beyond the defense.
