Erik ten Hag still has awkward Manchester United captaincy decision to make with Harry Maguire

Erik ten Hag has an awkward decision to make regarding Manchester United's captaincy.

Many fans thought that Harry Maguire's time as club captain would come to an end when Ten Hag arrived at Old Trafford. However, the Dutchman publicly backed the defender during pre-season as he reiterated his desire to keep the 29-year-old as his team's leader.

Maguire was selected in Ten Hag's starting XI for United's two opening defeats to Brighton and Brentford. Since then, a ten-minute cameo against Arsenal off the bench has been his only Premier League game-time so far.

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The England international has picked up three yellow cards in his three league appearances, as he underwhelmed in his brief time in a United shirt this season. The emergence of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane's growing partnership has seen Maguire move even further away from Ten Hag's starting line-up.

The elephant in the room is becoming larger and larger for Ten Hag, as he faces a difficult decision over Maguire's captaincy. Speaking to the Guardian before the start of the season, the United manager made it clear that the call would be solely his to make.

He said: "I always see the captaincy as an issue I dictate. Team building is important and I always talk about a group of leaders. The captain is a really important one and I’m happy with him.

"He is [first choice]. He’s proved it in the past but he has also to prove it in the present time and in the future. He has played 60 [sic 47] times for England. Harry [Maguire] 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. You cannot win with 11 players. We need a