Why Raphael Varane was removed from Manchester United starting XI

Raphael Varane had arrived at Manchester United with a lot of expectations in the summer from Real Madrid but things have not quite gone his way since then. The French World Cup winner has not been able to transform the Red Devils’ defence, as he has had his fair share of struggles with both form and fitness. And it looks like the centre-back cannot catch a break at the moment.

Varane had originally been named in the Manchester Untied starting XI to face Brighton & Hove Albion, in a very important Premier League that the Red Devils needed all three points from.

But Varane had to pull out of the game late on due to illness, with Victor Lindelof replacing him in the starting XI beside Harry Maguire and Tom Heaton taking a place on the bench.

Manchester United tweeted out:

Varane was removed from Manchester United’s starting XI due to illness

The most important thing right now is Varane’s health and we can only hope that this is not a serious issue, and he will recover soon. Our best wishes are with the Frenchman.

The French international might not be at the top of his game right now but he remains a key part of this Manchester United defence and if they are to get anything out of this season, they will need Varane.

Lindelof is a great replacement as well though. In fact, one could argue that he has been Manchester United’s most consistent centre-back this season till now.

Manchester United knew coming into the game against Brighton & Hove Albion that they needed all three points, after having drawn against Southampton and Burnley over the previous couple of games in the Premier League, which had made things for the club much tougher in the race for a top four spot. Fortunately, they managed to get a 2-0 win over Graham Potter’s side.