Manchester United defender Rafael Varane has gone down again.
“Baran has been ruled out for several weeks with the injury,” the UK’s Athletic reported on Tuesday.
Baran started the game against Nottingham Forest on Sept. 27 before being substituted at the start of the second half.
With manager Eric ten Haggis expected to give a briefing on Varane’s status ahead of this weekend’s game against Arsenal, The Athletic explained that “Manchester United believe Varane will be back in six weeks.”
The Red Devils will now have to play five league games without Varane, including this weekend’s match against Arsenal, before hosting Brentford on October 8.
Baran’s frequent injuries have been a concern for United. Baran, who was frequently sidelined with injuries, both major and minor, during his time at Real Madrid, was also out of action last season with about a month left in the season after serving as a first-choice defender.
For this reason, Manchester United were linked with Napoli’s Kim Min-jae in the summer transfer window. The Red Devils were considered the favorites to sign Kim, but after negotiations stalled with Napoli, Bayern Munich’s aggressive approach pushed them out of the race.
After missing out on Kim, Manchester United looked at Leeds United defender Robin Koch and Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard as alternatives, but the Red Devils headed into the season without a central defender.
Varane’s long-term injury is also a blow to their game plan. Eric Tenhagh has labeled Harry Maguire as a non-performer and put him on the transfer market. In the opening three games, he went with a central defense line of Varane, Lisandro Martinez, and Victor Lindelof, effectively ruling out Maguire. The plan was to cash in on Maguire and bring in another defender, but with Baran out of the picture, it’s harder to get rid of Maguire. 메이저놀이터
For Maguire, on the other hand, it’s an opportunity. Stripped of the captain’s armband, Maguire has rejected a move to West Ham United and is determined to fight for a starting spot at Manchester United. With the summer transfer deadline a week away, the odds of Maguire staying at United are increasing.
United finished their opening three games with two wins and one loss. They lost 0-2 to Tottenham in the second round, but turned things around with a 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest in the third round. They will try to make it two wins in a row next month when they travel to Arsenal on May 5.