Ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster has urged manager Erik Ten Hag to leave Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire out of the team.
The Red Devils skipper was benched for Monday night’s 2-1 win over Liverpool and sat on the sidelines as an observer.
Following the 4-0 thrashing at Brentford, Cristiano Ronaldo was again kept out of the starting XI, and a transforming performance from United appeared to vindicate Ten Hag’s daring moves.
Maguire has been questioned for months following a terrible season at the heart of Manchester United’s defence.
There are currently rumours that the England international could be stripped of his captaincy at Old Trafford or possibly leave for Chelsea before the transfer deadline.
Related: Erik ten Hag ‘Considering Dropping Harry Maguire To The bench Against Liverpool’
And while Foster suggests it is too easy to pin the Red Devils’ change of fortune on Maguire’s omission – he insists the Ten Hag made the right call.
“At that point, you’ve just got to pull them out of the firing line,” Foster said on talkSPORT.
“It’s just one thing after another. The best thing to do… it’s almost like a dying dog, just put them out of their misery.
“Take him out of the team, take him out of the spotlight, even if it’s just for four or five games.
“It could be a month or six weeks, but just take him out the firing line.”
However, Foster fears Maguire and Ronaldo would face backlash if they return to the team and United’s play suffers again.
“I felt a little bit for some of the lads that missed out that night, like Ronaldo and Maguire,” he said.
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