Erik ten Hag insists he has no problem with Varane: It's 'tactical reasons'

Erik ten Hag insists he doesn’t have an issue with Raphael Varane, and says the Frenchman’s recent absence from the Manchester United team is down to Harry Maguire’s renaissance at Old Trafford.

Varane is in contention to return to the starting XI at home against Luton on Saturday having been left out for the last four games.

The 30-year-old is understood to have spoken to Ten Hag after the United manager said publicly that he had been dropped for the Manchester derby for ‘tactical’ reasons — even though the player is thought to have had an ongoing fitness issue and missed the Carabao Cup defeat by Newcastle three days later.

Varane has since made substitute appearances off the bench against Fulham and Copenhagen. He is said to be upset that Ten Hag chose to play Jonny Evans alongside Maguire because the Northern Irishman is better at passing out from the back, although the United manager insisted on Friday: ‘That was never the issue.’

The previously strong relationship between the two men is said to have become strained, but Ten Hag played down talk of any problem with Varane on Friday.

‘Absolutely not,’ he said. ‘As I said, it is about tactical reasons why I chose these partnerships. I think Harry and Jonny did well.

‘Harry didn’t play a lot last year, so I was very happy with Rapha’s performances. I have always been happy with his performance.

‘But in this moment, Harry is playing very well and there is internal competition. I always said Harry Maguire can do the job — and now he is showing he can do the job.’

Ten Hag prefers his central defenders to play on the side of their stronger foot. But with Evans joining left-footers Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw on the injury list, Varane could get the nod ahead of Victor