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Raphael Varane confirms injury severity after Man Utd suffer fresh blow vs Brentford
Raphael Varane has addressed his latest injury after being forced off in Man Utd's draw at Brentford.
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Raphael Varane has settled fears over his injury withdrawal during Manchester United's 1-1 draw against Brentford on Saturday night with a brief post-match assessment. The 30-year-old helped United withstand a first-half attacking storm from the Bees but was stifled by an all-too-familiar issue that ended his evening early.
Varane, who turns 31 in April, was Erik ten Hag's best performer in the first half, although the bar was low during a dismal display from the visitors.
But he didn't emerge from the tunnel at half-time as United introduced Harry Maguire to partner with Victor Lindelof in the second half.
Ten Hag's injury woes worsened later in the game when Lindelof was also forced to exit with a non-contact injury, opening the door for Lisandro Martinez to return to action after eight weeks.
After full-time, the Red Devils manager remained coy on the fitness of Varane and Lindelof, with another trip to west London to face Chelsea to come in four days.
"I can't tell by now. Rapha we took him off as a precaution at half-time and Victor he came off but we have to assess him tomorrow," Ten Hag explained.
Varane reportedly provided an injury update of his own as he left the Gtech Community Stadium, informing the Manchester Evening News that his issue was "not too bad".
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United survived a dominant display from Brentford, which included the hosts striking the woodwork three times and Ivan Toney's second-half goal being disallowed for a tight offside.
Mason Mount emerged from the bench and looked to have incredibly secured a smash-and-grab victory in the 96th minute with his first goal for the club since his £60million arrival last summer.
However, United's mentality came into question again when Ten Hag's defence collapsed moments later, allowing Kristoffer Ajer to fire Brentford level and earn a more-than-deserved point.
Ten Hag could now be sweating over Varane and Lindelof's fitness, with his hopes of guiding United to Champions League qualification hanging by a thread.
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The Old Trafford giants' weekend was made worse by both Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur winning their respective games.
Villa defeated Wolves 2-0 after Spurs came from behind to beat Luton Town 2-1 through Heung-min Son's late winner.
It leaves United 11 points behind fourth - with Thursday's game in hand - and eight off fifth, which is yet to be confirmed to be an extra Champions League spot.
After the trip to Stamford Bridge midweek, title chasers Liverpool visit Old Trafford for the second time in 21 days, likely starving for vengeance after their FA Cup heartbreak.