Harry Maguire shown size of Man Utd battle after Luke Shaw’s honest admission
Maguire was dropped from Manchester United’s starting lineup before suffering an injury that has kept him out for the season, with Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane forging a strong relationship.
Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire’s teammate at Manchester United, has revealed the magnitude of the challenge that awaits him.
Maguire was dropped from the Red Devils’ starting lineup after the first two games of the season. He’s been out with a hamstring injury since, missing both Europa League victory over Omonia Nicosia as well as the last two Premier League games.
Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane have developed a fairly good connection at the heart of United’s defense in his absence. Erik ten Hag’s squad has kept four clean sheets in all competitions without Maguire.
This has helped them climb to the fifth position in the Premier League rankings after a disastrous start to the season. On top of his team’s recent success, Maguire has been dealt a new blow by Shaw.
Martinez currently takes Maguire’s place as the left-sided center-back. And Shaw has confessed that United “requires” the Argentine to play with his intensity and passion while admitting that playing with a left-footed center-back rather than a right-footer like Maguire “helps.”
“You can see everyone loves him. The fans love him. His left foot is phenomenal. I think it always helps when you play with a left-footer on the side because he naturally likes to come out to that side,” Shaw said.
“And I think he has slotted in extremely well. Of course, he can keep improving, but for me so far, he has been great this season, and he needs to keep it up. His aggression, his desire, we need him in that backline. He brings that every game. I am really glad to have him in the club.”
Martinez played the entire 90 minutes of United’s goalless draw with Newcastle on Sunday. He had two interceptions and seven recoveries, and he won all of his aerial duels and tackles.
Maguire will now face an uphill battle to reclaim his place from Martinez. Ten Hag is a big fan of the defender, having brought him to Ajax, where he was named Player of the Year last season.
With even his teammates believing Martinez is now critical to their success, Maguire’s task appears to be even more difficult. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to unseat Varane or Martinez.
At the moment, it appears that Maguire will remain on the bench for an extended period of time. A strong defense is the foundation of any successful team, which Varane and Martinez have provided for Ten Hag.
