Raphael Varane will miss Sunday's encounter against Arsenal after suffering an injury, Manchester United have confirmed.
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The 30-year-old centre-back was withdrawn at half-time in last Saturday's victory against Nottingham Forest and will miss "a few weeks".
Despite losing Varane, Man Utd will feel confident about winning without him as the statistics are just as positive when he doesn't start compared to when he is named in the starting XI.
In the 45 Premier League matches he has started in, Man Utd have a win percentage of 51.1 per cent, and in the 34 he hasn't started in, they win 52.9 per cent of encounters.
Man Utd PL stats with/without Varane
| Statistic | With Varane | Without Varane |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 45 | 34 |
| Wins | 23 | 18 |
| Draws | 13 | 3 |
| Losses | 9 | 13 |
| Ave. goals for | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Ave. goals against | 1.2 | 1.5 |
| Win percentage | 51.1% | 52.9% |
| Points/90 | 1.8 | 1.7 |
| Shots/90 | 14.6 | 14.6 |
| Shots conceded/90 | 12.8 | 13.6 |
In addition to Varane being ruled out, Luke Shaw sustained a muscle injury last week.
That leaves Erik ten Hag without two of his first choice back four.
However, the statistics show that when those two are not named in the starting XI, Man Utd still find a way to win.
In the 12 matches they both haven't played, the Red Devils have won on seven occasions with a win percentage of 58.3 per cent.
They've averaged 1.8 points per match, and conceded only 1.3 goals per contest.
Man Utd PL stats when Varane and Shaw don't play
| Statistic | Without Shaw/Varane |
|---|---|
| Matches | 12 |
| Wins | 7 |
| Draws | 1 |
| Losses | 4 |
| Ave. goals for | 1.3 |
| Ave. goals against | 1.3 |
| Win percentage | 58.3% |
| Points/90 | 1.8 |
Furthermore, Ten Hag still has options to pick from in defence.
Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof were the centre-back pairing in the second half against Forest and could start Sunday's fixture at Emirates Stadium.
Eric Bailly and Jonny Evans, who is in talks with the club to extend his contract, are also available for selection, as is Harry Maguire, whose future at the club remains uncertain.
Man Utd are reportedly looking to reinforce their defensive ranks, with Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella the latest name linked to the club.
Ten Hag's side have started the season with two wins from their first three matches.
