Erik ten Hag has named Raphael Varane as Manchester United captain for the first game in the wake of Harry Maguire’s demotion as the Red Devils prepare to face off against Lyon at Murrayfield.
Ten Hag’s side is continuing their preparations before they fly out to the United States in the coming days and the United boss confirmed that Maguire will no longer be skipper. Portugal national Bruno Fernandes is heavily favored to get the armband long term but with the latter unavailable, Varane will lead the side in their encounter against Ligue 1’s Lyon.
Fernandes was one of only four players who returned to training over the weekend, after appearing in international fixtures until mid-June. He, Luke Shaw, Casemiro and Marcus Rashford have all been given some extra time off, but will be on the flight to the United States later this week.
Clearly Ten Hag has named a mix-and-match XI blending some senior pros with younger players in the hope of making a fresh impact. The United boss’ undisputed starting pairing of Varane and Lisandro Martinez were named as the two central defenders for the upcoming fixture.