Manchester United boss Eric Ten Hag has praised “immense” Raphael Varane and says Harry Maguire will not play just because he is captain.
Maguire, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea, was dropped for last Monday’s 2-1 win against Liverpool.
Instead, Varane partnered Lisandro Martinez in the heart of defence.
“His profile, his stature or what he won already in the past shows he can really contribute to this team,” Ten Hag said of France defender Varane.
“For the team there’s competition and we need that. We have to cover so many games and we can do that in several constructions and we can see from game to game what we need.”
The Dutch coach added: “We have options and [with] Varane his stature is immense.”
Maguire started Manchester United’s first two games of the season – a 2-1 loss at home to Brighton and then a 4-0 defeat at Brentford.
The 29-year-old was targeted for his poor form last season and also received some boos during a pre-season friendly with Crystal Palace in Australia.
Ten Hag has already confirmed Maguire as his captain for this season but stressed that does not guarantee him starts.
“I say that doesn’t mean when you are captain that you are established to play always, especially not when you also have Varane in your squad,” he added.
