The chances of Manchester United now sneaking into the top four and securing a Champions League spot now seems extremely unlikely.
Last weekend’s game against Brentford was the perfect opportunity to build some momentum going into the final stages of the campaign, but a last-minute equaliser spoiled the party.
The pressure is ever-increasing on Erik ten Hag, with his position under intense scrutiny, and the recent injury to arguably his finest centre back, Lisandro Martinez, has most definitely arrived at the wrong time.
The Argentine is set to miss up to a month of action due to a calf injury, just days after returning from a knee injury that had kept him out for nearly two months.
Nonetheless, with that recent news in mind, let’s take a look at three options Ten Hag could replace the World Cup-winning defender with…
1 The Obvious Option Harry Maguire
The Dutch boss will have feared the worst when Harry Maguire was forced off early against Brazil for England, but luckily, his injury is already in the past.
United’s former captain was fit enough to feature on the bench against the Bees, and at half-time, he was called upon after Raphael Varane picked up a knock.
Due to the injuries at centre half, it’s all but guaranteed that Maguire will be involved in the starting lineup, which is a huge boost for United.
In the former Leicester City man's most recent start against Fulham, he had one of his best performances of the season, scoring, making two key passes, and making five clearances.
2 The Tactical Tweak Casemiro
This is arguably the most unlikely option out of the three, but starting Casemiro at centre half is certainly an idea that Ten Hag has toyed with in the past.
Last season, during United’s EFL Cup clash against Burnley, the defensive midfielder by trade was fielded alongside Victor Lindelof at the heart of the back line, where he impressed.
Clearances
4
Blocked Shots
2
Touches
125
Passes completed
90
Duels won
3/4
Although the Red Devils dominated the game and the possession statistics, the one-time Real Madrid man starred both on the ball and off it, as you can see displayed in the table above.
However, the Brazilian has struggled at times this season in midfield – notably being dribbled past 2.2 times per game in the league – and the tactical tweak of putting him at centre-back could see him return to the “monster” he once was, as dubbed by journalist Muhammad Butt.
3 The Wildcard Option Willy Kambwala
The final option that Ten Hag could utilise is the young Willy Kambwala, who has been heavily involved in the first-team squad this campaign.
Although the academy defender is only 19 years old, he’s already been handed four Premier League appearances, even making his first start against West Ham United earlier this season.
Kambwala is a dynamic defender who’s comfortable on the ball, as shown by his 95 touches and 90% accuracy on his debut, but his lack of experience will most likely keep him on the bench.
However, if Ten Hag does decide to trust the talented Frenchman, then he will be surrounded by experience, which would massively help him through the tie.
Either way, all three options are far from ideal considering the crucial nature of this week's meetings with both Chelsea and Liverpool, with Ten Hag left to rue rushing Martinez back into the fold.
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