August 13, (THEWILL) – Manchester United’s acquisition from Real Madrid, the French defender Raphael Varane is not going to be available for the Red Devils in their first match of the season against Leeds at the Theatre of Dreams stadium in Manchester this weekend.
The cause of the absence of the 28-year-old has been put down to there being some extra steps still left in the transaction process to make him a full-blown player for United even after the club confirmed that they reached an agreement over Varane’s transfer, as THEWILL reported last month.
For the World Cup winning Frenchman to have been eligible to feature when the Red Devils welcome Leeds to Old Trafford on Saturday, he needed to have been registered by Friday lunchtime. That window has now elapsed, ruling him out of contention.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made Varane’s absence understandable in his pre-match press conference when he said: “[He has] not trained with us. All the details are not done yet. Takes time. Unfortunately with isolation, not 100% done. I can say he won’t be involved as not trained. Big hold up is isolation. It will be done soon.”
It was a different case for another of United’s transfer business this summer, their new boy from Borussia Dortmund: Jadon Sancho. Putting conflicting stories aside, Solskjaer said that Sancho was likely going to make his debut on Saturday.
“Jadon [Sancho] is going to be involved [against Leeds]. He’s had a good week. Unfortunately he was ill after his holiday so he missed out on a few days of training — can’t tell you if he is going to start though.”
It has been a profitable trading scene for the Old Trafford side in the summer transfer window and the manager will be expected to show something for it this season. United have gone four entire seasons without silverware and spent about half a billion pounds in that time.
They lost in the final of the UEFA Europa League in an epic penalty shootout against Villarreal and finished 12 points adrift of Manchester City in second in the EPL, while being knocked out of the FA Cup by Nigeria’s Kelechi Iheanacho’s strike for the Leicester team, for another disappointing season.
Solskjaer is yet to win a trophy and the fans will expect a stronger challenge this time given the investments that have brought in the likes of Sancho and Varane. The last trophy that United won was the 2016/2017 Europa League with former manager, the Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho.
Solskjaer’s response to their chances of contending for the title this season was: “Well we have gradually closed the gaps. Nothing is beyond these players, I wouldn’t put it past them. It will need a very, very good season. You want to come in April and May and be in that.”
That challenge will begin with Leeds on Saturday at their home in Manchester.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
