“He’s not some kid with no experience” - Rio Ferdinand names 3 Manchester United players who must step up after injuries to Maguire and Shaw
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has urged Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane, and Kobbie Mainoo to step up after the Red Devils lost Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw to injury.
Erik ten Hag and Co. crashed out of the UEFA Champions League, finishing bottom of their group, after they suffered a 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich last night at Old Trafford (Tuesday, December 12).
To make matters worse, Manchester United also lost Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw to injury in the first half. The in-form Maguire limped off with a groin issue and was replaced by Jonny Evans, while Luke Shaw limped off at half time and was replaced by Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Manchester United are already without the injured Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof in defense. Moreover, they are also without Casemiro, Mason Mount, and Christian Eriksen, while Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial missed the Bayern game due to illness.
Ferdinand gave his verdict on the matter, saying (via METRO):
"Players have got to step up. Harry Maguire has gained confidence after being out of the side for a long time but picked up an injury today. It looks like Luke Shaw is another one who picked up a niggle and had to come off. Injuries have been prominent throughout the season and they are continuing to build up now."
He added:
"However, you have to show you are a resilience side, you have to find a way to look at the younger players. [Kobbie] Mainoo is one who will maybe have to come in and play some more minutes."
"The players that are coming in some of those areas, Wan-Bissaka cost £45 million. He’s not some kid with no experience, he is a £45 million player coming on the pitch today. Varane came on today, [he has won] four Champions Leagues. It’s not like you’re bringing in guys that have never played at this level. The drop off is too big."
Manchester United will need to show great resilience in the coming game weeks to salvage the rest of their season. They face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, December 17 before facing West Ham United, and Aston Villa next.
How have Kobbie Mainoo, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Raphael Varane fared for Manchester United this season?
Rio Ferdinand recently namedropped the Manchester United trio of Kobbie Mainoo, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Raphael Varane to step up following Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw's injury. Let's take a look at how the three stars have performed so far this season.
Mainoo made his return to the first team at the end of November after suffering a serious ankle injury in pre-season. The 18-year-old defensive midfielder put in a stellar performance against Everton, helping the Red Devils secure a 3-0 win, and has made four appearances in total since then.
Wan-Bissaka has looked decent both defensively and offensively this season for Manchester United, providing two assists in his 12 appearances so far. However, he suffered a hamstring injury earlier this season, missing nine games as a result.
On the other hand, Varane has struggled for form and consistency this season in his 13 appearances so far. The Frenchman has fallen in the pecking order behind Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof and will be aiming to get back to form soon. He has been linked with an exit from the club in the January transfer window.