Man United may have gotten away with it this time, but their defense as a whole has a significant issue.
Manchester United saw a preview of a worrying future for the team throughout the final 15 minutes of play, including stoppage time.
Only two senior center-backs were believed to be fit at United at the time Jonny Evans took Victor Lindelof’s place in the closing minutes of the Reds’ match against Arsenal: the Northern Irishman and Harry Maguire.
In 2018, the Premier League looked on with envy at this alliance, but that luster has since completely worn off.
If luck is on United’s side, Evans’ job will primarily be restricted to the locker room rather on the field and he has been brought in as the fifth choice at best. Maguire is completely out of favor with Erik ten Hag right now, so he would not have been a viable choice at the Emirates Stadium if it weren’t for the former captain canceling a deal.
Thankfully, Lindelof and Lisandro Martinez’s problems seem to be modest in the days that have come after. By the time the Reds face Brighton and Hove Albion in their next match, both men ought to be fully recovered.
However, Ten Hag and United need to be well aware of the dire circumstances the team can find itself in if a new round of injuries decimates the Reds’ defense.
It already seems like a bad choice not to have made an investment in at least one center-back in the summer after four games into the new season.
Of course, the team’s manager was not going to be aware of the full extent of the injuries until later on. Raphael Varane, though, has a history of injury issues since moving to Manchester, so additional coverage would have been sensible.
Sadly, because to improper investment from above Ten Hag, he was powerless to intervene when the team’s several weak points needed to be strengthened. His team will have its fingers firmly crossed that they survive the international break.
