Erik ten Hag singles out Manchester United duo after win over Nottingham Forest

Dale O'Donnell

Manchester United's French defender Raphael Varane during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on December 27, 2022. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag lauded Raphael Varane’s performance on his return to domestic action – nine days after the World Cup final.

Varane lasted 77 minutes on the pitch before making way for Harry Maguire at the end as Erik ten Hag decided to close out the game at 3-0.

The France international played 113 minutes in the World Cup final defeat to Argentina but he returned quickly to cover some of the absentees United had at the back against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night.

Harry Maguire is still not 100 per cent after contracting a virus at the World Cup, while Victor Lindelof is ill and Lisandro Martinez has only returned to the squad after celebrating Argentina’s World Cup triumph.

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As a result, Luke Shaw started at centre-back and they managed to keep a clean sheet. A sixth clean sheet in 15 Premier League games, with our goal difference now on +3.

It looked like Shaw had played centre-back for many years.

“I think you always question yourself after a break,” Ten Hag told reporters, as per the Manchester Evening News. “What will be the restart and we play a team – especially the back four – they never played together and a player who never played ever in a centre-back position [Shaw]. And if you win three, concede no goal, another clean sheet, then you are happy with the performance.

“Rapha shows once again his great personality, the great standard he is giving Manchester United by coming from the World Cup. A problem in the centre half position and he took the responsibility to play and he performed really well and he was once again really important for our team.

“I work in the rules and we are quite strict on keeping the rules, controlling the rules and if everyone is doing the job then you concede less goals, the organisation is right, it’s always the base, the platform for winning games.”

It will be interesting to see who starts against Wolves on Saturday.

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