Rio Ferdinand gives verdict on Raphael Varane's situation at Manchester United

Former Manchester United ace Rio Ferdinand believes Raphael Varane will be baffled by the fact he has seemingly fallen behind Jonny Evans in the pecking order at Old Trafford.

Varane, despite being available for the fourth Premier League game running, was left out of the starting line-up once again against Luton Town on Saturday. Victor Lindelof, who scored the only goal of the game, partnered Harry Maguire in the heart of the back-four, with Varane taking up residency on the bench.

Evans was ruled out of the clash with the newly-promoted Hatters after being forced off with an injury against FC Copenhagen three days earlier. Varane replaced him in the first half in Denmark.

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Despite that, manager Erik ten Hag chose Lindelof to start alongside Maguire at centre-back, meaning Varane has not started a Premier League game since the 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on September 30. Evans, on the flip side, has started four of United's last five league matches, nudging ahead of Varane in the pecking order.

Ferdinand is surprised by Ten Hag's thinking, questioning how Varane, a four-time Champions League winner, must be feeling. Addressing the situation on Vibe with Five, Ferdinand said: "We don't know. If he's on the bench, you think he must be fit.

"In my mind, when you're on the bench you can play, because you could have to come on in the first minute if someone gets injured. So if you're fit enough to travel and get on the bench, you're fit. So I don't know what the reason is.

"But I know that Varane is waking up and his head has got scramblers going off,