With no Lisandro Martinez or Raphael Varane, Manchester United were short on centre-back options for the FA Cup semi-final clash with Brighton at Wembley. Not only were the Reds' first-choice defenders both out injured but club captain Harry Maguire was also suspended for the clash.
It is unclear if Ten Hag would have selected the England international after his difficult evening in Seville on Thursday night, but given the decision was taken out of his hands, he didn't even need to contemplate it. The Dutchman was without three senior centre-backs, and yet, that was United's strongest area on the pitch on Sunday.
Victor Lindelof was always going to start given the lack of options, and Luke Shaw - having played six matches as a centre-back prior to the clash with the Seagulls - was an obvious pick alongside the Swede. The fluidity of Brighton's attack had the potential to give the pair real issues, but both defenders were excellent against Roberto De Zerbi's men.
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The Reds required penalties to eventually overcome their Premier League rivals, but with an FA Cup final against bitter rivals Manchester City to come in early June, very few people are going to remember their route to Wembley. It will be the first time in history the two clubs have met in a domestic final, and with silverware on the line, it will mean even more to everyone associated with the teams.
Brighton, in general, like their striker to drop deep and support the midfielder. The Seagulls had success with that in the opening stages of the game, but Shaw, to his credit, acknowledged the tactic and began to step into midfield on occasions. It allowed Casemiro to better control his area after coming under pressure from the likes of Moises Caicedo and World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister.
Meanwhile, Lindelof - who also progressed up the pitch with authority when required - was able to sweep behind. It is the type of partnership and understanding that takes months to develop and master, but United's centre-back pairing showed they were more than capable of filling the void left by Martinez and Varane.
When Maguire and Lindelof started together in the 3-0 thrashing at Sevilla, it was clear that the balance was wrong. There is a reason the pair have never looked overly comfortable next to each other, despite having been on the same pitch on 117 occasions during their respective careers at Old Trafford.
Lindelof received a lot of plaudits for scoring the winning penalty in the 7-6 shootout victory - and rightly so. However, it was his defensive performance that was truly impressive. As the senior centre-back, it was on the 28-year-old to take responsibility to support Shaw in what promised to be a difficult environment.
Given that Martinez underwent successful surgery on his broken metatarsal, the Argentine will be out for the remainder of the campaign. However, there is a chance that Varane could return for the FA Cup final, or maybe even sooner. Ten Hag told talkSPORT he was hopeful the Frenchman would be back in time for the clash with Pep Guardiola's men.
Should the 29-year-old be sidelined until the final at Wembley on June 3, the Reds will be without their first-choice centre-back pairing for the next eight games - all of which come in the Premier League. United are chasing a top-three finish, and while dropping to fourth position would not be too much of an issue, it would mark an extremely successful debut campaign for Ten Hag if they manage it.
Therefore, it is likely that Lindelof and Shaw will continue at the heart of defence for the Reds, even with Maguire being back available for selection against Tottenham on Thursday night. There is a general consensus among supporters that United are better without their captain on the pitch, especially with neither Varane nor Martinez alongside him.
Ultimately, then, most fans will be of the opinion that Ten Hag's defensive selections in the coming weeks are simple. Lindelof and Shaw are not always going to enjoy the same success they had against Brighton, but they have already demonstrated that they are more than capable of stepping up in the absence of other players.
The number of games to come will likely see Maguire come in at some point, but Ten Hag's short-term centre-back pairing for crunch matches is now clear and obvious for everyone to see.
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