Manchester United cannot rely on Jonny Evans for the coming weeks. The Northern Irish defender is sidelined for now with a thigh injury. It's the next setback for manager Erik ten Hag.
Embed from Getty Images
Ten Hag is under considerable pressure due to disappointing results. That his second season is not going as well as his first year at Old Trafford, according to the 53-year-old Haaksbergen native, is also due to the many injuries preventing him from working on consistency. For example, Ten Hag cannot rely on former Ajax player Lisandro Martínez until the winter break. Left-backs Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw have also been sidelined for a long time, while Raphaël Varane has just returned from an injury.
Partly due to these absences, Harry Maguire got a new chance, and Ten Hag was also forced to rely on Evans again. The 35-year-old defender was surprisingly offered a contract last summer after leaving relegated Leicester City and made his comeback last week in the Champions League against FC Copenhagen. However, he sustained an injury in that match, making United's infirmary even more crowded.
Varane replaced Evans on Wednesday evening in Copenhagen (4-3) and now seems to be counting on a starting spot against Luton Town on Saturday afternoon. On Friday, during his press talk, Ten Hag explained that he hadn't fielded the French defender until now because Maguire seized his opportunity in his absence. 'I have no problem with him at all. I made a different choice for tactical reasons. I think Harry and Jonny did well. But I have always been very pleased with Rapha's play.'
Updated: 11:10, 11 Nov 2023
