When one door closes, another one opens. Manchester United have been dealt a huge double injury blow this week, but the harsh reality of football is that it creates an opportunity for those in reserve to show just how good they really are.
United fans will be fearing the worst after news Lisandro Martinez won't play again this season, while Raphael Varane is set to be sidelined for 'a few weeks.'
Their loss is a much harder pill to swallow than the two own goals that cost United their comfortable lead in midweek, with the undeniable fear that their season could now derail.
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It is true that any team would miss two players of such immense quality, but the absence is harder felt on a United side whose resurgence this season has been underpinned by their world-class defensive partnership. United can't feel too sorry for themselves now, and the real test of their mentality will be in how they react to such a devastating double blow.
Erik ten Hag will most likely return to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's favoured defensive duo as a short-term fix, and with one of them expected to be sold this summer, there is now a perfect platform for them to prove why they should be the one staying at the club.
Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have both made clear their desire to be playing regular football at this stage of their careers, and both could look to force a summer exit after dropping down the pecking order this season. They are both good defenders who have had their highs and lows at the club, but their talents have been dwarfed since the establishment of Martinez and Varane as the preferred partnership.
It is a credit to them both that they have mostly impressed whenever thrown into the starting line-up this season, and now they have the chance to prove exactly what they are made of, something not lost on Maguire.
"My mentality is that I want to get another two trophies for the club," he said a week ago after keeping a clean sheet against Everton. "I enjoyed lifting the Carabao Cup and I want to lift another two.
"I’m still playing a lot of games, but obviously as a footballer I want to play every game. But I’m sure every other centre-back in the dressing room does as well, and the manager cannot play all four."
Maguire has always wanted to reclaim his starting spot and play every game; he now has that chance between now and the end of the season. The England international does not want to jinx the fact that he hasn't tasted defeat when playing for United since September, though the mitigation is that most of his subsequent appearances have come in lesser matches, with 14 of the 26 coming in cup competitions.
Ten Hag admits he is happy with the progress Maguire has made this season; the real test now is for him to prolong that winning streak in the matches that matter the most. He has spoken passionately about his love for the club and the fact he wants to bring them further success, but the time for talking is over, and he must now walk the walk.
Maguire wants to lift another two trophies; it could be up to him to make sure that happens.
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