Man Utd handed injury boost on key player

Manchester United have received good news on Raphael Varane, who sustained an ankle injury against Manchester City on Sunday.

The Frenchman was substituted before the half-time break of the Manchester derby, but it appears the setback is not a long-term one.

According to L'Equipe, there were no torn ligaments during the scan conducted on Monday and Varane should return soon.

The centre-back has been hampered by short-term injuries throughout his career and he missed 15 games for United last campaign.

His latest injury is a minor one, but the Red Devils would not want to rush him back to first-team action, considering his fitness record.

In his absence, Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof are the only senior centre-backs that are available for selection under Erik ten Hag.

Harry Maguire is currently sidelined with a muscle injury. Ten Hag will be hoping that both Maguire and Varane return as soon as possible.

United have 12 games to play in the space of six weeks before the World Cup break. There will be plenty of rotation required in that period.