Manchester United could be set for a major selection problem in central defense when they take on Leicester City on Saturday. With team captain Harry Maguire potentially out for a few weeks due to injury (the team issued an update earlier this week, and it was worrying) they’re already down their first CB.
Now Maguire’s partner in the spine of the back line, Raphael Varane, might be out as well. The Frenchman had to exit today’s UEFA Nations League Final against Spain due to a leg injury.
According to the Manchester Evening News:
“Varane went down holding his leg, but the true extent of the injury remains unclear having earlier looked to cut out a Spain cross or if it was an off-the-ball muscle tweak.
The French medical staff attended to Varane on the pitch, but it quickly became apparent that he would not be able to continue.”
If the injury is serious, then the first choice central defense pairings this weekend will be Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly. And you know what that means, the first guy off the bench, would be Phil Jones!
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when he has to choose between Lindelof, Bailly and Phil Jones next week pic.twitter.com/96FlK1elaF
— chels. (@ProperCheIs) October 10, 2021
And with that, Phil Jones became a trending term on Twitter, as United fans every where had some fun at the expense of the Englishman who has not featured for MUFC in well over a year and change.
You can see all kinds of funny posts like this on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/ffsaftab/status/1447285462058475525
United have enough problems right now. Here’s to hoping the Varane injury isn’t too serious.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune.
He co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.