Manchester United’s French defender Raphael Varane left the pitch in tears after picking up a knock in the club’s battle against Chelsea on Saturday evening.
The 2018 World Cup winner is suspected to have pulled his hamstring after going in for a challenge when Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was through on goal. The incident which happened in the 60th minute looked serious with early projections suggesting that the former Real Madrid man could miss the 2022 World Cup which is only a month away.
Manchester United’s defence lost its sharpness following Varane’s removal from the game. A Jorginho penalty almost took the game away from them after a solid performance until a late Casemiro equaliser earned them a deserved point.
The Red Devils’ manager Erik ten Hag has said that the club will release an official statement on the extent of his injury in the 24 hours following the game. The Dutchman told reporters after the game: “It is difficult to say how it is now because it is so soon after the game.
“We have to wait 24 hours and then we will know what it is.”
When pressed further in his post-match press conference, he added: “I can understand, we can all probably understand he would be emotional [if he is out of the World Cup], but I think he also has to wait.
“You don’t know [how bad it is]. Of course he is experienced, but [the] medical [staff] have to do their job, have to make the assessment and set the right diagnosis, and then from there on can come a conclusion.”
Commenting on the draw which was characterised by poor finishing by his side despite their strong performance, the former Ajax manager said: “I think it was a good game. In the first half, we dominated the game. But also, that is why the opponent switched their system.
“And they made it a little more difficult for us, like we saw in the last minutes of the first half. In the second half, I think it was even. It was a battle between two teams of the same height. And in the end, I think a point was justified.
“It was deserved. It was tough, when you get so short for time, you get 1-0 down, I think it is really difficult after the fourth game in 10 days to fight back. But the team found their energy and their strength and fought back. And that’s really big for this team.”
