Erik ten Hag has hinted that he is willing to experiment with Victor Lindelof as the Manchester United defender could potentially undergo a position change.
Lindelof arrived at Old Trafford in 2017 as part of a £31m transfer from Benfica, with then-United manager Jose Mourinho keen to stabilise the Red Devils’ defence.
The 28-year-old Swedish centre-back, who is under contract until 2024, has struggled to establish himself as a regular first-team starter in the United defence.
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And Lindelof has seen his playing time reduced even further with the arrival of Ten Hag, who prefers a partnership between Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez.
The United star had been linked with a move away from Old Trafford in the January transfer window, with Eintracht Frankfurt reportedly keen to sign him on a loan.
Ten Hag is keen to keep Lindelof at the club and is open to the idea of switching him from a defensive role to a holding midfield position in the future.
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Lindelof previously played as a defensive midfielder during his time at Benfica, with Ten Hag admitting that he has played him in that role during United training.
“Lindelof was educated as a six, as a controlling holding midfielder at Benfica, so I know he can do that and we already tried it before in training and maybe in one game,” he said.
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“But also, there I also want my centre-halves playing sometimes in midfield positions so that we create different dynamics. So, it’s just to construct more dynamic in the team.”
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Ten Hag has predominately relied on former Real Madrid star Casemiro and Christian Eriksen since their arrival at Old Trafford last summer.
However, the United boss has lost Eriksen through an ankle injury and the 30-year-old Danish midfielder could be ruled out of action until late April.
Scott McTominay has been sidelined with a muscular injury, but Ten Hag has signed Marcel Sabitzer from Bayern Munich on a loan deal to rectify his midfield issues.
Topics: Victor Lindelof, Manchester United, Premier League, England, Football