Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has explained starting Raphael Varane on the bench for the midweek Champions League defeat at FC Copenhagen.

Varane eventually came on for an injured Jonny Evans in the first-half.

Ten Hag said, "It's tactical reasons why I choose these partnerships. I think Harry [Maguire] and Jonny did quite well.

“Last year, Harry didn't play a lot. So, I was very happy with Rapha's performance, and I have always been happy with his performance.

“But, in this moment, Harry is playing very good. There is internal competition.

“Harry Maguire is doing very well in this moment and I'm very happy with that.

“As I always said with Harry Maguire, he can do the job and now he is showing he is doing the job.

“Rapha Varane, I always played him, all the games when he was available, I played him because he was doing that well.

“Ideally [either Maguire or Varane would play on the right side].

“But there are moments in games or in certain games they can play together, and they have already proved they can do it. But the build-up is not that fluid when one of them is playing from the left centre-half position.

“Licha [Martinez] obviously, Luke Shaw, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof are right footed, but they can play really comfortably from the left and they can make the right angles. Then you can construct a better formation where you can start to play."