Raphael Varane could make his Manchester United debut in under a fortnight.
United kick off the season against Leeds on August 14, and if the France international is not quite ready for that fixture, then the following week against Southampton beckons.
Varane has not had too many debuts in his career, as United will be just the third club he has played for. Fortunately his previous debut matches have gone well.
Lens debut
Varane made his debut for Lens aged 17, back in November 2010. Tottenham’s Serge Aurier was part of the same back four.
Varane’s task was to take on Montpellier, led by Olivier Giroud, later of Arsenal and Chelsea and now AC Milan. The pair went on to win the World Cup together eight years later.
On this occasion Varane came out on top. Lens won the game 2-0, against the team which won the Ligue 1 title a year later in 2011/12.
Varane had only played due to an injury. He ended up keeping his place and completing the 2010/11 season with 23 Ligue 1 matches, and attracted attention from Manchester United before Real Madrid swooped in.
Real Madrid debut
Raphael Varane’s debut for Real Madrid in 2011 did not result in a win. But he did his part perfectly.
Varane was named as a starter against Racing Santander, who have since dropped from La Liga into Spain’s third tier.
Real and Racing drew the game 0-0, with Varane doing his job in keeping a clean sheet, partnering veteran Ricardo Carvalho in a changed backline with Sergio Ramos left on the bench.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Mesut Ozil, and then substitutes Angel di Maria, Kaka, and Gonzalo Higuain all failed to make the breakthrough for Jose Mourinho’s side in attack.
France debut
It was a little of a surprise that Raphael Varane had to wait until 2013 to make his France international debut. France had curiously left him out of their Euro 2012 squad, preferring more experienced options.
Varane’s France debut came against Georgia in a World Cup qualifier in March 2013.
He partnered Mamadou Sakho, of Liverpool at the time, with Paul Pogba, then of Juventus, starring in midfield.
Varane’s France won the game 3-1, with Mathieu Valbuena, Olivier Giroud, and Franck Ribery scoring the goals.
Ahead of his potential Manchester United debut, Varane should be feeling confident, even if it is eight years since his last one.
Now 28, Varane will be ready for his Manchester United debut. With two wins out of three in previous debuts, and just one goal conceded, his record stands up pretty well to suggest he can make an immediate impact.
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