According to former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, two players have transformed the Reds under new boss Erik ten Hag.
With losses to Brentford and Brighton in their first two games of the year, United endured a nightmare start to the season.
Ten Hag’s team, though, have looked significantly more solid over the last two months and have picked up six wins out of its first 11 Premier League games.
The Reds defeated Tottenham 2-0 on Wednesday at Old Trafford before tying Chelsea on Saturday at Stamford Bridge with a late goal.
Despite the raucous celebrations that followed Casemiro’s header deep into stoppage time, Raphael Varane’s injury caused the center back to leave the game in the second half.
The Frenchman, who sobbed as he left the field, now has to work quickly to recover in time for the World Cup next month.
Varane won’t be able to play for the Reds until December and is anticipated to be sidelined until the start of the tournament.
According to former United defender Ferdinand, his absence will be a “huge loss.”
What Did Ferdinand Say?
The France star had formed a solid partnership at the heart of the defence with Lisandro Martinez, and Ferdinand believes Ten Hag’s men have been a “different team” with the pair in the side.
“It seems to me that it isn’t going to be Harry Maguire who comes in now,” Ferdinand said on his Vibe with Five YouTube channel. “It looks like it’s going to be [Victor] Lindelof.
“Lindelof is decent, I think he will come in and do a job, it just depends how long he’s being asked to do that job.
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Martinez has been top this season but Varane gives us that something different, that speed, that experience and physicality. I think he could be a huge loss.
“You need them two [Varane and Martinez] back together. We’ve seen straight away that those two together make us a different team, it’s as simple as that.”
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