Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is reportedly considering dropping captain Harry Maguire for the visit of Liverpool on Monday evening.
The England international has started both of United's Premier League matches so far, which resulted in defeats to Brighton and Brentford, leaving them sitting bottom of the league table for the first time since August 1992.
Maguire has played alongside new United signing Lisandro Martinez in both of those games, but it could be all change when they face the Reds, as they look to turn their fortunes around.
The former Ajax boss is said to be mulling over the prospect of starting the £55.3million Martinez with Raphael Varane, who will almost certainly be recalled, according to Manchester Evening News.
The same report suggests that players already feel ten Hag's approach does not suit their skill set and they have their own ideas of how they should approach the match against Liverpool.
United struggled against Jurgen Klopp's side last season, as they were thrashed 5-0 at Old Trafford, and then beaten 4-0 at Anfield later in the campaign.
Maguire was previously dropped from the starting line-up by interim head coach Ralf Rangnick for the Red Devils 3-1 defeat to Arsenal in April.
The 29-year-old has retained his captaincy under the new boss despite coming under intense criticism last season and even having fans calling for him to be stripped of the armband.
In pre-season, the new boss claimed Maguire and Martinez would be his first choice centre-back partnership.
'We bring him in to not strengthen the squad, but the team,' Ten Hag said of Martinez. 'Is Maguire a first-choice? I think he is.
'He's proved it in the past but he also has to prove it in the present time and in the future.
'He has played how many times? Sixty times for England? He is a career that is really impressive and I expect a lot from him.
'But there is also internal competition and that is what a club like Man United needs.'
pqr4real
66
how on earth will the coach bench varane (world cup winner and serial champion league winner ) for Maguire and Martinez. one is short for premier league bullying attacker while the other is a calamitous captain. any coach that bench his best defender and rate him third behind Martinez and Maguire is definitely not a good manager
Hagieee7
33
Please DrOp HiM now before this becomes true 😢