Maguire's back! Captain returns to Man Utd line-up for Bournemouth clash with Van de Beek & Lindelof also selected
- Maguire used as sub last two games
- Was working his way back to full fitness
- But Luke Shaw played well in his place
WHAT HAPPENED? Maguire is in Manchester United's starting line-up for the first time since November 10, when Varane was nursing an injury.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: This is a potential lifeline for Maguire's Manchester United career as Ten Hag is showing he still views the centre-back as a rotation option when either Raphael Varane or Lisandro Martinez are unavailable. Similarly, Aaron Wan-Bissaka continues to earn newfound faith after extended exile, and he'll start at right-back against Bournemouth. Donny van de Beek and Victor Lindelof are also getting rare places in the line-up.
Meanwhile, Shaw gets to return to his natural left-back role after being used as a centre-back for the past two matches.
WHAT THEY SAID: United boss Ten Hag explained before the game: "They [Maguire & Lindelöf] were ill and recovered from illness. Varane has played a lot of games and we know we have to manage him, he is a leader and so important for us."
MAN UTD LINE-UP VS BOURNEMOUTH:
📋 Presenting our first line up of 2023! 🔴#MUFC || #MUNBOU
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 3, 2023
IN TWO PHOTOS:
WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD? The Red Devils are back in action after Tuesday's game on Friday in the FA Cup against Everton.