Erik ten Hag explained his decision to give Harry Maguire a rare start in Manchester United’s FA Cup clash against Reading.
The Red Devils hosted the Royals on Saturday night with a place in the fifth round at stake.
Having beaten Nottingham Forest 3-0 in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg last Wednesday, Ten Hag made just one change from that victory, with captain Maguire coming in in place of Lisandro Martinez.
The centre-back has struggled for game time this season, with his new manager preferring Martinez, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof and even Luke Shaw at centre-back.
Discussing his team selection ahead of the game Ten Hag told ITV: ‘Harry is back. I already said yesterday he was ill when he returned from the World Cup, otherwise he should have played a couple of games.
‘But you have to play to get back into the rhythm. He did already play some games, but I think this is a good game for him to return, especially when you see the height for the opponent.
‘He’s had some chances but every player has to pick their chances.
‘He’s training very well, he’s training very dominant and that’s what I want to see from him as a leader like he is, he’s the captain, so I have big expectations of him today.’
‘It’s not just about Harry, everyone has to match those expectations. We want to achieve this season so we need a squad, so every player needs to give all they have.’
The decision to start Maguire had the approval of United legend Roy Keane who told ITV: ‘It’s a good game for him obviously. The manager’s gone strong and it’s good to see Harry getting an opportunity.
‘He must be frustrated obviously, he came here a few years ago for a big fee. He’s had his critics – me being one of them – but this is nice for him, an important game, an FA Cup match, they’ll want to win it and it’s a great opportunity for him.
‘We’ve seen over the years a lot of players can train well, it’s what you do on a match day. Harry’s playing for his future at the club, no doubt about that.’
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