Man Utd's defensive crisis hands a golden opportunity to €20m defender to shine - opinion
Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has the opportunity to prove his worth amid the defensive crises at the club.
Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof will be out of action for at least a month after suffering fresh injuries.
Martinez picked up a calf problem in training earlier this week and Lindelof sustained a hamstring injury in United’s 1-1 draw with Brentford.
Raphael Varane and Jonny Evans are the other two options at the centre-back for the Red Devils. The latter is returning from an injury he suffered before the recent international break.
Varane is too injury-prone and was substituted at half-time as a precaution against Brentford.
Maguire has a chance to stay at United next season
The England international was on the verge of leaving Old Trafford last summer but opted to stay put and fight for his spot.
It is quite the turnaround for Maguire, who United supporters often booed. He worked hard and showed his strengths at the back this season.
The 31-year-old made his landmark 200th appearance for the club last Saturday when he came on as a substitute.
Evans has been a valuable addition to the squad but it would be a risk to back him again to perform well at the age of 36.
Varane’s current contract expires in the summer. The Red Devils have the option to extend his deal by another year, but they want the defender to agree to a new contract with reduced wages.
The talks have stalled and he could head the Old Trafford exit door.
Martinez has been injured almost the entire season, which raises a big concern for the United hierarchy. They need a quality back-up defender if the Argentine continues to be sidelined next campaign as well.
It will be difficult for INEOS to do a complete overhaul of the defence in one window.
If Varane and Evans are asked to move on, United might try to retain Maguire’s services. However, the €20 million-rated defender must show his worth at the business end of this campaign.
He is expected to start at the heart of the defence with Varane against Chelsea tonight in the Premier League.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com