Raphael Varane Can't Keep Fit, Finished At Top Level, Says Man Utd Legend

Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has expressed his concerns over defender Raphael Varane, saying the Frenchman may already be finished at the top level.

Speaking after Manchester United's loss in the UEFA Champions League, Scholes slammed Varane, who was at fault for Galatasaray's equaliser before the Turkish club went on to win the game 3-2 at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

"I worry about Varane a bit, he has been one of the very best defenders around, in that same ilk at Real Madrid. I just think his legs are looking sluggish, he can't keep fit and I worry about him," Scholes said in an interview.

Adding further about Manchester United's performance overall, Scholes said he was "really disappointed".

"I actually don't think they played that badly. All the talk before the game was that they couldn't really score goals and there was a lack of goals in the team. It is almost as if we disregarded the defensive side of the game and the defensive side of the team it wasn't good enough they were wide open at times," the former footballer added.

Manchester United have now lost five out of their last seven matches in all competitions. In Group A of the Champions League, Erik ten Hag and Co. sit at the bottom of the table having lost both their fixtures so far.

Varane's injury issues

Varane joined Manchester United from Real Madrid in the summer of 2021 for a fee of around £35million, and he arrived as one of the most decorated players in world football.

Two seasons later, Varane is now struggling to find his best form and has already missed a month of the 2023-24 campaign because of an injury. In Varane's absence, the Red Devils lost three games across competitions.

Manchester United's Rasmus Hojlund is experiencing a great start to his career with the Old Trafford side. Against Galatasaray, the Danish striker put the hosts 1-0 up within 17 minutes from kick-off. Galatasaray's Wilfried Zaha pulled one back for the visiting side and it was 1-1 at the half-time break.

The Red Devils' new signing Hojlund struck once again to put Manchester United back into the lead in the 67th minute. However, a glaring error from Varane allowed Akturkoglu to net an equaliser for Galatasaray. The French centre-back drifted out wide and allowed a pass through his legs before Akturkoglu produced a clean finish.

The France international was then slow to close down Mauro Icardi before the Argentinian striker chipped Andre Onana to score the winner.

It was Manchester United's second straight loss at home, following their 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace in the Premier League last Saturday.

Ten Hag: Man Utd must use defeats as fuel

Meanwhile, Manchester United boss Ten Hag believes his boys must use these defeats as fuel to reignite the fire within themselves in order to turn the tables around in the coming games.

"The fans are disappointed as we are. We are also very disappointed. But that also has to be fuel and that is the good thing about this team. Every time they find the energy in every game, at the start of every game. There was a team with a lot of energy and with a good motivation going into the game," the Dutch boss added.

Manchester United's upcoming fixture is also at Old Trafford as they host Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday. It is their last game before this month's international break. With four defeats and three wins from seven matches, the Red Devils are currently in 10th place in the league table. They are nine points behind table-toppers Manchester City.