Erik ten Hag has explained why he lined Harry Maguire up as a right-sided centre-back and Victor Lindelof on the left.
Previous managers picked Maguire on the left and Lindelof on the right. Erik ten Hag believes he has a better way.
Maguire has come under pressure during the past couple of seasons, and has been picked infrequently by Ten Hag.
Now with Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane out, Maguire and Lindelof are set for a spell in the team.
Ten Hag explains Maguire and Lindelof positioning
Erik ten Hag picked Harry Maguire on the right side of defence and Victor Lindelof on the left. He believes this will make life easier for Maguire.
Ten Hag explained via club media that as a right-footed player it was tougher for Maguire on the left of defence.
The manager explained: “The angles are not good if Harry is playing on the left side, it is difficult for him. But I think he is more capable on the right.
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“Victor can use both feet very good and I think he did a brilliant job in defence and in transition from Johnson. So that is why we prefer to do it with them in this way.”
After an early hiccup which saw Maguire booked, he settled into the game well and Lindelof was particularly outstanding.
This is likely to be the way Manchester United line up against Sevilla on Thursday night in the Europa League.
The following weekend at Wembley won’t quite be so straightforward. Maguire is suspended, and it could be Luke Shaw filling in.
This would see Lindelof move back to the right-side, with Shaw’s preference as a left-sided centre-back, owing to his more regular position at left-back.