Manchester United fans will be relieved to hear that their star centre-back Raphael Varane will be sidelined for the clash against the Blades on Saturday.
The Red Devils have grappled with numerous injuries this season, including long-term absentees like Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw, and Kobbie Mainoo.
During the international break, they faced another setback with Casemiro sustaining an ankle injury while representing Brazil, and Sofyan A
Amrabat, a late addition on transfer deadline day, not featuring in Morocco’s matches.
However, there’s some positive news from Manager Ten Hag regarding the squad’s status ahead of their trip to Bramall Lane.
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Varane and Sergio Reguilon have returned, Amrabat is available, and Casemiro’s injury is expected to be short-term. While speaking to the club’s official website, the Dutch boss said:
“Rapha Varane is back, so I think, especially in the backline, I’m very happy with Rapha back and Sergio back. That’s very good news, of course. It’s disappointing that Casemiro picked up an injury but it’s not too bad.”
“I’m sure and confident he will be back for the next games, so very short notice. The good thing is also that Sofyan Amrabat is available.”
Varane, who retired from international duty after the last World Cup, utilized the break to improve his fitness following his absence from United’s recent match against Brentford.
A photo from Thursday’s training session showed him in action. Also seen in training was young midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who has been sidelined for three months but is now aiming to earn a place in the first-team, having made a strong impression during the preseason.
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United’s start to the 2023-24 season has been far from impressive, as they have only managed to secure 12 points from their first eight league matches.
Furthermore, they haven’t secured any points in the Champions League group stage, suffering back-to-back losses to Bayern and Galatasaray.
The upcoming period is of utmost importance for the team. After their match against Sheffield, United will face Copenhagen in Europe, followed by the highly anticipated Manchester derby.
Subsequently, they will have a Carabao Cup fourth-round clash against Newcastle United at home. To succeed in these matches, United will need to be in peak form, and hopefully, they won’t face any more injury concerns.
