Erik ten Hag has moved to play down fears that Raphael Varane could miss the World Cup by insisting the extent of the injury will not be known until Monday at the earliest.
Varane was forced to leave Manchester United's draw with Chelsea on the hour mark with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. The Frenchman was motionless on the ground for several minutes before departing the pitch with the help of United's physio and doctor.
As he left the pitch, Varane could be seen crying, suggesting that he felt the injury he suffered would rule him out for a substantial period of time. With the World Cup in Qatar less than a month away, any significant injury will likely mean he is not able to feature in the tournament.
While Ten Hag saw Varane's reaction, he encouraged his star defender to wait and see what the medical staff's diagnosis is. The Dutchman insisted that the extent of his injury will not be known for at least 24 hours.
"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. We have all seen he came off but with an injury like this we always have to wait a minimum 24 hours and the medical staff can do their job and can set the diagnosis," he said.
“I can understand, we can all probably understand he would be emotional, 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.”
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With Varane off the pitch, United conceded a penalty, which Jorginho scored three minutes from time. A matter of minutes later though, Casemiro equalised for the Red Devils, stealing a point for his side.
Ten Hag was pleased with the way his side bounced back from that setback, having seen his side put in another solid performance. But he was also keen to keep his team's feet on the ground, with the Red Devils currently on a six-game unbeaten run.
“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," he said.
"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. It is quite clear we want to win every game and we want, in this moment, to develop the team.
"That is what you need and getting in the right position, and we will see where we are when it is March or April. But that is a long road to go. So, for now, I am not looking at the table, I am looking at the process and the progress.”
