Manchester United centre-back Raphael Varane has reportedly emerged as a late injury doubt for Sunday's Premier League clash with Liverpool at Anfield.
The French World Cup winner has formed an effective pairing with Lisandro Martinez in front of David de Gea, keeping club captain Harry Maguire out of the starting lineup.
Varane has 15 Premier League starts to his name in the current campaign, and he played the full 90 minutes as the Red Devils beat Newcastle United 2-0 in last weekend's EFL Cup final.
The 29-year-old was expected to be named on the bench for the FA Cup tie against West Ham United, and he only appeared as a last-minute substitute in that 3-1 quarter-final success.
Varane has been an unused substitute in his side's last two Premier League wins over Leeds and Leicester City, although that can be attributed to his side's Europa League showdowns with Barcelona, where he played all 180 minutes.
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Varane was seemingly set to join Martinez at the back against Liverpool, but according to the Daily Mail, he has complained of leg pain and will need to be assessed at the last minute.
The report adds that United do not believe that his issue is serious and hope that he will be able to play, but they will run a fitness test after breakfast on Sunday morning.
Should the ex-Real Madrid man miss Sunday's pivotal clash, either Maguire or Victor Lindelof should deputise alongside Martinez, although Luke Shaw has been used as a makeshift centre-back this season.
Moving Shaw across to a central role would open the door for Tyrell Malacia to start at left-back, although his relative Premier League inexperience may not serve him well against Mohamed Salah.
Varane previously missed six games for Man United with another leg injury before the World Cup, but he recovered in time to help France reach the final, where they lost to Argentina.
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The defender - who announced his early retirement from international football following the Qatar tournament - has one goal and one assist to his name from 53 appearances for Man United since joining from Real Madrid in 2021.
Erik ten Hag is already working without long-term absentees Donny van de Beek and Christian Eriksen for the trip to Anfield, while Anthony Martial is also sidelined from a hip problem.
However, the Dutchman is hopeful that Shaw and Jadon Sancho can recover from a knock and illness respectively to make the journey, where a win would keep the third-placed Red Devils six points behind Manchester City in the table.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are working without Luis Diaz, Joe Gomez, Thiago Alcantara and Calvin Ramsay for Sunday's game, while Naby Keita and Arthur remain doubtful.
Ten Hag led Man United to a 2-1 win over Liverpool at Old Trafford back in August, but not since the 2015-16 season have the Red Devils beaten their Merseyside counterparts at Anfield in the Premier League.
Ben Knapton
