Harry Maguire was brutally benched by Erik ten Hag in the latest indication of his bleak future at Manchester United.
The Red Devils captain, who struggled during Thursday's 4-2 win against Aston Villa in the EFL Cup, was left out of the starting XI as United faced Fulham on Sunday in their final Premier League match before the World Cup. With right-back Diogo Dalot suspended and Ten Hag's defensive options limited, the Dutch tactician bizarrely decided to start left-back Tyrell Malacia out of position rather than simply slot Maguire into the back four.
While it still would've meant centre-half Victor Lindelof playing as a makeshift right-back, the Swede has covered there on numerous occasions this season, with Maguire subsequently partnering Lisandro Martinez at the heart of defence in the absence of Raphael Varane. Ten Hag's decision left Maguire - who's only played one full league match in three months - as the only defender on the away bench at Craven Cottage, just days after it emerged that the Red Devils boss wants to sell the 29-year-old in the summer.
