Erik ten Hag shuts down Jamie Carragher theory about Manchester United captain Harry Maguire

Harry Maguire will not play in the Manchester derby on Sunday afternoon - and should Jamie Carragher have his way, the England defender may not pull on the famous Manchester United shirt again. Maguire continues to divide opinion like no other at Old Trafford and beyond.

Even if injury had not intervened, the £80million captain would have almost certainly been named on the bench against Manchester City, as Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez do their best to tame Norway sensation Erling Haaland. So many defenders have failed before them, but will the United pair succeed?

Having been ruled out through injury, Maguire will be heading and kicking every ball from the stands. It has got to the stage now where even the most vocal anti-Maguire observer would admit the player needs a little bit of luck - or perhaps guidance - from somewhere.

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Maguire was given the backing of Gareth Southgate while he was on England duty. However, mistakes beneath the famous arch at Wembley against Germany saw him come under the microscope once again, and Carragher was among the most scathing pundits when writing in his Telegraph column.

Carragher wrote: "My question to Maguire is: do you have that same fury in you? Too often, it looks as if the weight of the world is on his shoulders, like he's a startled bunny more than the authoritative centre-back he was.

"I think it's too late at club level. I wrote last year he was fighting for his Manchester United career. He needs this to be his final season at Old Trafford and start afresh. Now it's England's problem. When I watched Maguire in these last two games, I felt sorry for him.

"That's not a good look for any sportsperson. Sympathy will not get him