One of the most positive aspects so far this season for Manchester United has been the performance of their defensive unit, especially after leaking goals last season.
The arrival of Lisandro Martinez has certainly changed things and his no-nonsense style has endeared him to the United faithful. One of the players who has benefited from the arrival of the Argentines has been Raphael Varane.
Last season, the lack of a proper pre-season meant a lot of injuries for the Frenchman and he barely had a chance to build up consistency.
Varane passed in form
This season the World Cup winner got into a specific routine and that served him well and was class personified for United.
However, things turned ugly during the match against Chelsea, as Varane had to leave the pitch in tears after sustaining a thigh injury.
???????? @RaphaelVarane has been selected in the France #FIFAWorldCup squad ????
Congratulations Raphael! #MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 9, 2022
His extreme reaction seemed to suggest that the former Real Madrid star feared he might not arrive in time to represent the nation in Qatar.
The United man even traveled to France to undergo his treatment at Clairefontaine to give himself the best possible chance of making the cut for the World Cup.
After being properly assessed by the national team doctors, the belief that the 29-year-old would be fit for the quadrennial showpiece began to grow and that was confirmed after Didier Deschamps picked his team.
Varane has been fit enough to be on the plane and it will be great news for the centre-back, especially after the scenes witnessed during the Chelsea game.
Martial misses it
United hope Varane can return from the World Cup with renewed confidence and no further injury problems as he is crucial to United’s chances this season.
One United player who missed out on reaching Qatar is Anthony Martial. His preseason form had suggested a comeback might be on the cards.
But a surfeit of injuries sustained over the course of the season that has restricted the former Monaco star to just one start played a key role behind Deschamps’ reasoning.
Former Red Paul Pogba has also failed to make the cut after picking up an injury during pre-season, which has prevented him from making his second Juventus debut since moving to Italy in the summer.
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