Raphael Varane will have a fitness test ahead of Man United’s trip to Liverpool after complaining of leg pain in recent days with Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof on standby to feature at Anfield
- United hopeful he will be fine to resume his partnership with Lisandro Martinez
- Should Varane fail to make the game, Maguire or Lindelof is likely to deputise
- Varane and Martinez emerged as preferred combination during United’s ascent
Manchester United defender Raphael Varane will have a fitness test ahead of Sunday afternoon’s trip to Liverpool with Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof on standby to feature at Anfield.
We understand Varane has been complaining of leg pain in recent days and will be assessed after breakfast.
United are hopeful he will be fine to resume his central defensive partnership with Lisandro Martinez.
However, should the 29-year-old fail to make the game, Maguire or Lindelof is likely to deputise.
They were paired for the midweek FA Cup win at home to West Ham but have both started just five times in the Premier League this season.
Manchester United defender Raphael Varane will have a fitness test ahead of Sunday afternoon’s trip to Liverpool
However, should the 29-year-old fail to make the game, Harry Maguire or Victor Lindelof is likely to deputise
Varane and Martinez, meanwhile, have emerged as the preferred combination during United’s ascent to third in the table and played in last Sunday’s Carabao Cup final victory over Newcastle.
It comes after he revealed that he decided to retire from France duty because he was struggling to cope with football’s ‘overloaded schedule’.
Varane called time on his international career, despite seemingly being at his peak and just shy of his 30th birthday.
But he has opened up on how having to consistently play at the highest level has taken its toll on him and led to him taking the difficult decision to stop playing for France.
‘I gave everything, physically and mentally,’ Varane said in an interview with Canal+. ‘But the very highest level is like a washing machine, you play all the time and you never stop,
‘We have overloaded schedules and play non-stop. Right now, I feel like I’m suffocating and that [Varane] the player is gobbling up [Varane] the man.’
United are hopeful he will be fine to resume his central defensive partnership with Lisandro Martinez
Varane’s announcement was even more of a shock considering he appeared to be in pole position to be France’s next captain after Hugo Lloris confirmed his international retirement.
Varane picked up 93 caps for his country after making his debut in 2013, and was a mainstay at the heart of the defence for a decade.
He played every minute at the 2018 World Cup as Les Bleus lifted the trophy for the second time in their history, and he played a key role in France’s run to the final in Qatar last year.
The 29-year-old also won the Nations League with his country in 2021, as France came from behind to beat Spain 2-1 in the final.
