Raphael Varane is preparing for his first taste of a Manchester derby this weekend.
The Manchester United and France defender missed both meetings with City last term, one as he suffered a bout of covid-19 and the other due to a hamstring injury.
Now, he is fully fit and ready to take on the champions as Erik ten Hag's team look to continue their fine run of form. United head to the Etihad on a run of four consecutive league wins, although they have not played a league fixture in almost a month. Games against Crystal Palace and Leeds were postponed following the Queen's death before the international break extended their hiatus further.
Read more: Ten Hag has already axed six players who featured in last City thrashing
World Cup-winning centre-half Varane could be crucial to them extending that winning streak, as he and Lisandro Martinez look to provide the bedrock at the back as part of Ten Hag's new-look defence. And speaking ahead of the match, Varane insists the team will fight for the bragging rights on Sunday.
"The rivalry is mainly from the supporters, it’s important for them and we respect that," said Varane.
"We want to make them happy, so we want to fight and win against teams like [Manchester] City and Liverpool. You have to feel what the fans want from you and what they want. It’s very important."
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