Raphael Varane is set to miss “a few weeks” after suffering an injury in France’s Nations League final win over Spain, Manchester United have confirmed.
Though there is no definitive timescale on Varane’s availability his absence is a major blow to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ahead of a challenging run of fixtures that could have a major effect on Manchester United’s season at home and abroad. Their next seven games pit the Red Devils against Leicester City, Atalanta (home and away in the Champions League), Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester City.
“Raphael Varane sustained a groin muscle injury in the UEFA Nations League final and has commenced rehabilitation at the club,” a club statement read. “He will be out for a few weeks.”
The 28 year old returned to his club’s Carrington training base at the start of this week for tests on the issue, which he picked up straining for the ball in the first half of France’s 2-1 victory at the San Siro. Varane is unlikely to be the only key center back missing for United when they return to action against Leicester with Harry Maguire expected to be unavailable for the trip to his former side due to a calf injury.
Without Varane and Maguire, Solskjaer is likely to turn to Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof. Since the latter’s arrival at the start of the 2017-18 season United have averaged 1.33 points per game from 16 matches in the Premier League and Champions League where both Bailly and Lindelof have started. As a whole throughout that period they have averaged 1.86. A team with those two starters has not won a league or European match since a 3-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain on March 6, 2019.