Erik ten Hag has already told Raphael Varane when he can expect Manchester United return

Raphael Varane, a defender for Manchester United, was substituted in this weekend’s 1-0 victory over Luton Town.

As soon as the Manchester United squad news was released at 2:00 pm on Saturday, numerous supporters formed their own opinions regarding the future of Raphael Varane.

Midweek, the French World Cup champion was substituted for the injured Jonny Evans, but his performance fell far short of the caliber that has become customary. Despite this, the center-back’s partnership with Harry Maguire at Old Trafford appeared inevitable.

However, in an initially perplexing sequence of events, Victor Lindelof was selected in advance of Varane. The decision made by Erik ten Hag was ultimately deemed justified when the Swede scored the game-winning goal and the Reds maintained a much-appreciated clean sheet.

A cameo appearance by Varane lasting eleven minutes was insufficient to dispel rumors that his time with the Reds was nearing its conclusion. Constantly being omitted from the starting lineup must be unbearable for the 30-year-old defender, but Ten Hag has already provided insight into when we can anticipate him to make his return as a starter.

During his pre-match press conference, the manager stated, “As previously stated, I selected these partnerships for tactical purposes. In my opinion, Harry and Jonny performed admirably.

“As I stated previously, Harry didn’t make many appearances, so I was extremely pleased with Rapha’s performances last season. I have been consistently pleased with his performances. However, Harry is currently performing exceptionally well, and there is internal competition.

Certain games present opportunities for Maguire and Varane to collaborate, and they have previously demonstrated their capability to do so. However, the transition becomes less seamless when one of them assumes the role of a left central defender.

“This is due to the fact that I believe that Licha Martinez, Luke Shaw, Jonny Evans, and Victor Lindelof are all right-footed, yet they can play with great ease on their left and create advantageous angles.” “You can then construct a more effective formation from which to initiate play.”

Regrettably, Varane must accept the fact that his status within the squad is not contingent upon his performance. In the end, he must endure Maguire’s decline in form before regaining his spot in the squad, as Ten Hag cannot conceive of the two players collaborating.

It is currently beyond Varane’s control whether he will wait around like Maguire did in a similar situation last season, but he has only one path to the first team.