ERIK TEN HAG DECLARES 'EMERGENCY' AS ILLNESS RIPS THROUGH MAN UTD BEFORE FOREST GAME, WITH LUKE SHAW AT CENTRE-BACK

Manchester United were unable to start Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay and Victor Lindelof against Nottingham Forest, and Lisandro Martinez was absent after his World Cup exploits. That meant that Erik ten Hag picked a central defensive pairing of Luke Shaw and Raphael Varane, and ahead of the game manager Erik ten Hag said that the situation was "an emergency".

Illnesses in the Manchester United squad led to an “emergency” for Erik ten Hag as he picked Luke Shaw and Raphael Varane as centre-backs against Nottingham Forest.

Shaw, traditionally a left-back or left wing-back, will have to learn to play through the middle on Tuesday night at Old Trafford in the first game back in the Premier League since the World Cup for United.

Alongside him is Varane, who just nine days ago was playing in the World Cup final as France lost to Argentina.