Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has insisted that Harry Maguire has "an important role" to play for the club moving forward.
The 29-year-old struggled for form during the 2021-22 campaign, but he kept hold of the captaincy at Old Trafford heading into the new season.
Maguire started Man United's first two league games of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford, but poor performances in both saw him lose his spot in the side.
Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have formed a strong partnership at the back this season, and their performances led to Maguire sitting on the sidelines.
However, the defender has been unavailable for selection since picking up a hamstring problem while representing England during the September international break.
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Maguire is now back in first-team training and in contention to be included in the squad for Thursday's Europa League contest with Sheriff Tiraspol at Old Trafford.
The former Sheffield United youngster has only made five appearances at club level this term, but he could have a run of matches before the World Cup, as Varane is out with a hamstring injury.
Maguire will seemingly battle Victor Lindelof for the starting role alongside Martinez, and Ten Hag has hailed the club captain ahead of his return to the field.
"He (Maguire) always has an important role. He was injured and is happy he is back and now he has to get back into games. It's always about performance," Ten Hag told reporters.
"Regarding his qualities – no problem. He is a great player and has great capabilities to do a job for us. I understand the interest (England situation) but we especially look at Manchester United. We have to get the right results and performances."
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Since the 4-0 loss at Brentford on August 13, Maguire has only played 10 minutes of Premier League football, which came as a late substitute against Arsenal at the start of September.
The defender did start against Real Sociedad in the Europa League in early September, but he only played the final minute of the next European game against Sheriff.
Maguire, who was linked with both Barcelona and Chelsea over the summer, penned a six-year contract with Man United upon his arrival from Leicester City in August 2019.
The centre-back has made 149 appearances for the Red Devils, contributing seven goals and five assists in the process, but he is yet to win a trophy since moving to the club.
Matt Law
