Varane provides fitness update
Raphael Varane says he is fit and ready to return to the Manchester United first team.
The 28-year-old has been a key member of the side lately and had featured in all but one of United’s games in 2022 prior to last weekend’s defeat to Manchester City.
Varane missed out on that chastening afternoon on the other side of town, as he was one of two players to have tested positive for Covid last week, alongside Luke Shaw.
However, the France international was pictured training with the rest of the squad at Carrington on Wednesday and confirmed that he has now recovered ahead of what could be a key clash in the race for a top-four spot, when Tottenham Hotspur visit Old Trafford this weekend.
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“Yeah, I’m OK. I’m training normally,” said Rapha, in an exclusive interview with club media today (Thursday).
“I feel better and I’m ready to help the team and to look forward.”
Raphael played the full game as part of a back three in October, as United reacted to a heavy defeat to a rival – in this case Liverpool – by beating Tottenham 3-0 at their north London home.
Both clubs have changed manager since then, but the defender feels it was one of our better performances of the season and an example to look to ahead of the reverse fixture.
“Yeah, it was a very good game,” Varane added.
“I think we played very well and we respected the plan of the game. I think we were very, very solid and the result was a great result.”
Tottenham won 5-0 against Everton on Monday to move two points behind United in the league table, with Harry Kane scoring a brace.
Varane, along with fellow centre-backs Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, kept Kane quiet during the autumn and he’s relishing the challenge of coming up against the England marksman again.
“He’s in good form. He’s a very good player.
“I like to be playing against the best players in the world and in the Premier League there is a lot of very good strikers.
“Every game is a challenge and we have to be ready for this. Against this kind of player you have to be ready and focused in every moment.
“We can’t leave a lot of space because they are very good. We have to be ready.”