Ralf Rangnick might need to repeat £80m Manchester United selection decision

Across a dozen games as Manchester United's interim manager Ralf Rangnick has shown he isn't going to shirk the big decisions.

Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo have all been dropped under his United watch. Ronaldo was left out at Turf Moor on Tuesday night in what Rangnick said was a decision based on the style of game expected, but his decisions to axe Fernandes and Sancho have resulted in both players producing improved performances.

While Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did hand Ronaldo a rest against Everton earlier in the season and didn't always pick Sancho, it was hard to imagine him ever benching Maguire or Fernandes in the Premier League.

But this is a different era and Rangnick is prepared to make difficult calls, perhaps emboldened by his status as interim manager and the realisation that at the moment any extension to that role is looking slimmer by the week.

On recent evidence, he might have to revisit one of those significant decisions he has already made. If Fernandes and Sancho have raised their levels since finding themselves on the bench, the same can't be said of Maguire.

The United captain missed the defeat to Wolves and FA Cup win against Aston Villa at the start of January through injury, but on his return he was only a substitute in the league clashes with Villa and at Brentford, with Victor Lindelof keeping his place alongside Raphael Varane.

Before the game at Villa Park Rangnick said Maguire "doesn't have any problems anymore" but that he "decided to keep the two centre-backs who played in the cup game in the team". It looked a pretty clear-cut selection call but when it was repeated at Brentford a few days later there was an attempt to portray it as the captain being