Manchester United's French defender Raphael Varane (R) and Manchester United's Argentinian defender Lisandro Martinez (L) warm up prior to the English Premier League football match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United at Selhurst Park in south London on January 18, 2023. - 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 ADRIAN DENNIS / 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 ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester United have the chance to go seven points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur this afternoon as Erik ten Hag’s men face Leeds United for the second time in four days.
The last meeting between the two sides ended 2-2 at Old Trafford, with a second-half fightback from the Reds earning them a point against the Yorkshire side.
The trip to Elland Road is one of many big games for United this month, with two games against Barcelona and the Carabao Cup final against Newcastle still to be played as well.
That will require some rotation by Ten Hag and seemingly, the Dutchman is already keeping that in mind. Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane both started against Leeds in midweek but both players are on the bench this weekend. Speaking ahead of the 2 PM kick-off, Ten Hag explained his thinking behind the decision.
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“Rotation, that’s one part of it,” Ten Hag told the official Manchester United website. “We have a lot of games to cover. We are already back and a lot of games after each other and (there are) a lot of games coming ahead. The other part is also tactics.
Quizzed further on replacing Varane and Martinez with Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw at centre-back, Ten Hag insisted the pair’s experience will be invaluable.
“They know each other, they know also the game, the rivalry,” Ten Hag said. “They have to project it on the whole team so I expect leadership from them today, definitely.”
Varane has almost certainly been rested for next week’s trip to Barcelona but Martinez is a surprising one, considering the Argentine is suspended for the first leg.
