Raphael Varane's head must be 'SCRAMBLED' after falling below Jonny Evans in Manchester United pecking order, claims Rio Ferdinand

Rio Ferdinand believes Raphael Varane's head must be 'scrambled' by the fact he is seemingly below Jonny Evans in the pecking order at Manchester United. 

Since returning from injury, the World Cup winner has see Erik ten Hag prefer Evans, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire - though the Northern Irishman suffered an injury in the defeat by Copenhagen.

On his Vibe with FIVE YouTube show, Ferdinand said: ‘We don’t know. If he’s on the bench, you think he must be fit.

‘In my mind, when you’re on the bench you can play – because you could have to come on in the first minute if someone gets injured.

‘So if you’re fit enough to travel and get on the bench, you’re fit [to play]. So I don’t know what the reason is.

‘But I know that Varane is waking up and his head has got scramblers going off it in, because he’s thinking: “I’ve banged out five Champions League medals, I’ve played an integral part in all of those, I’ve played with the best players in the world, I’ve come to Man United and Jonny Evans is starting in front of me!”

‘No disrespect [to Evans]. Regardless of what Evans has done, there is no way Jonny Evans was ever in Varane’s mind. He would never have been thinking about Jonny Evans.’

Evans, 35, signed a one-year deal with United having left Leicester as a free agent at the end of last season. 

He had linked up with his former club to keep fit but ended up making such an impression and playing in pre-season fixtures that Ten Hag wanted to keep him. 

Varane, meanwhile, suffered an injury against Nottingham Forest earlier this season that kept him on the treatment table. 

And his battle to win back a place in the starting line-up is purely down to competition for places, rather than a falling out, insisted Ten Hag. 

The Dutchman said last week: ‘Absolutely not. As I said, it is about tactical reasons why I chose these partnerships. I think Harry and Jonny did well.

‘What I said last year, Harry didn’t play a lot, so I was very happy with Rapha’s performances. 

'I have always been happy with his performance. But in this moment, Harry is playing very well and there is internal competition.’

Varane cost United £40million in 2021 having been a key part of Real Madrid's success. He'd made 360 appearances in a decade, winning the Champions League four times and LaLiga on three occasions. 

Evans played for West Brom and Leicester during the same time period and Ferdinand went on to add that the Northern Irishman must be delighted with how everything has transpired. 

‘[He thought he would] go back to West Brom or something, Coventry or somewhere like that,' he added. 

‘I’d love to be Jonny Evans now, because knowing what he’s seen back in the day and having that insight now and seeing it now.’