Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has said that Raphael Varane has a chance of being fit for Sunday's Premier League contest with Everton.
The France international missed Thursday's Europa League clash with Omonia due to the ankle injury that he picked up in the first half of the Manchester derby last weekend.
Speaking straight after the 6-3 loss to Manchester City, Ten Hag appeared to rule out a serious problem for the centre-back, claiming that he wanted to avoid risking "a bigger injury" by substituting him.
"I don't think so, that he would have carried on [if the score would have been closer]," Ten Hag told reporters. "But you get him off because when you are 4-0 down, you don't want to take a risk to get a bigger injury. But I think it's that big, the injury, that he couldn't carry on."
Varane did not make the trip to Cyprus on Thursday due to the issue, but Ten Hag has revealed that the defender could be back in the side against Everton.
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"Raphael Varane makes progress, and I hope he's available, but I think it will be close," said the Dutchman when questioned in the aftermath of his side's 3-2 European win.
However, Man United will still be missing Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Donny van de Beek for this weekend's clash at Goodison Park.
"From the other players, Harry Maguire [is] not [available] and then it's Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Donny van de Beek, both not [fit]," added the Dutchman.
Maguire has been missing due to the hamstring problem that he suffered while representing England during the international break, which opened the door for Victor Lindelof to start on Thursday night.
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Ten Hag also revealed that "a muscle injury" is keeping Van de Beek on the sidelines, with the Netherlands international enduring a frustrating start to the campaign.
"He had a muscle injury and so it takes him a couple of weeks. He's back on the training grass so he's outside, doing his work, but still individual. He's not returned to team training so we have to wait for that moment," said the club's head coach.
Martin Dubravka is still waiting to make his debut for Man United following a loan move from Newcastle United, but the goalkeeper was back in the squad against Omonia following injury.
Axel Tuanzebe and Brandon Williams are 'long-term' absentees, while Phil Jones has been left out of Man United's Premier League squad, with the defender widely expected to leave the club at the end of his contract next June.
The 20-time English champions have lost three of their opening seven matches of the 2022-23 Premier League campaign, but a total of 12 points has left them in sixth position in the table.
Matt Law
