Ronny Johnsen makes Harry Maguire prediction for Manchester United

Ronny Johnsen has backed Harry Maguire to make a significant contribution to Manchester United this season, but the former central defender has been impressed with the partnership between Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez.

Maguire has spent the previous four Premier League games on the bench after being dropped in the wake of the 4-0 defeat at Brentford. He's since started the Europa League game against Real Sociedad and played 90 minutes for England in their Nations League defeat to Italy on Friday night.

United have won four successive Premier League fixtures with Varane and Martinez at the back and they are beginning to look like a settled partnership for Erik ten Hag, leaving club captain Maguire out in the cold.

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Johnsen knows all about having to bide your time as a centre-back at Old Trafford. In his six years at the club he only once made more than 22 Premier League starts in a season, but when he was called upon he was ready to make an impact and he's confident Maguire can do the same.

"It’s probably the first position you pick out as a manager [for a partnership]. It’s always nice to get some games under your belt in that position, to get to know the other ones really well, it’s a position where you need to know each other really well," Johnsen told the Manchester Evening News .

"Harry has been there for many years now, he knows the club, I’m sure he’s going to contribute to the results. It’s going to be interesting to see.

"When you’re at a big club you always want to play, that’s how the players are, but you have to accept it, sometimes you need a break, sometimes you don’t need it but it’s