Erik ten Hag has said that he doesn’t believe Raphael Varane’s injury is very serious, after the defender hobbled off in Man Utd’s 6-3 defeat at the hands of Man City.
The French World Cup winner was subbed off in the 40th minute, having received treatment on the field after seemingly turning his ankle when blocking a shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Varane did attempt to play on after the injury, but was eventually taken off before half-time.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Ten Hag, when asked about the potential severity of the centre-back’s injury, said: “I don’t think so, that he would have carried on [if the score would have been closer].”
“But you get him off because when you are 4-0 down, you don’t want to take a risk to get a bigger injury. But I think it’s that big, the injury, that he couldn’t carry on.”
In a post-match interview with Sky Sports, the Man Utd manager discussed the game itself and what went wrong for his side, stating: “Lack of belief. I’m surprised why we didn’t bring it [belief] onto the pitch. I’ve seen – obviously four weeks ago – a different team, a different spirit, a different vibe, a different confidence, and today we didn’t have confidence.
“From the first minute on we were not on the front foot, we were not brave in possession. It’s always difficult to find out [why his team weren’t brave in possession], especially straight after the game. I have to talk with my players and I have to find out.
“They know they can do better – see the performance at Arsenal, see the performance at Liverpool – but if you don’t fight, and we didn’t, then you have a problem against a team like Man City.”
Credit: 90min.com
