Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, made a crucial transfer decision that has turned out to be a stroke of genius as the team’s injury woes mount.
Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez, two crucial center backs for United, are currently sidelined with injuries after being forced off of Thursday’s 2-2 Europa League draw with Sevilla.
Martinez will miss the remainder of the season due to a fractured metatarsal, the team later confirmed. Varane is anticipated to be sidelined “for a few weeks.”
Their absences add to United’s long list of injuries, which already includes Marcus Rashford, Donny van de Beek, and Alejandro Garnacho.
Varane and Martinez are likely to be replaced at center back by the team of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, indicating that manager Ten Hag’s decision from January paid off.
10 Hag Man Utd decision was sound.
Some of the top clubs in Europe expressed interest in Maguire in January as his future at United appeared uncertain.
Inter Milan reportedly submitted a loan offer, with the proposed agreement to last through the end of this season. The Sun reported that Ten Hag promised to give the United captain more opportunities with the first team and prevented the captain from leaving.
The England star had to wait for a chance, but he finally got one when he was given a start in the 2-0 victory over Everton last weekend.
And his manager, Ten Hag, praised him for his performance in the game, saying, “This is a different Harry than what I’ve seen in the first weeks and months.
He is stepping in, bringing passes, dominating his opponent, and taking so much initiative. A really impressive performance, then.
The club will be hoping the center-back can maintain this form going forward as they continue to fight on three fronts this season, with the center-back likely to play a key role in United’s run-in.
They might have been even shorter in central defense if Ten Hag had permitted the defender to leave, forcing one player to start out of position or bringing in an unproven young player.
They still have a chance to win the FA Cup and the Europa League in addition to the Carabao Cup, which they already won by defeating Newcastle at Wembley in February, and they are also vying to finish in the top four spots in the Premier League.
