Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, has opted to pair Lisandro Martinez in central defence for his side’s Premier League opener against Brighton on Sunday, according to reports.

According to AS, Ten Hag has picked Martinez alongside captain Harry Maguire to start the Premier League game against Brighton, while Raphael Varane will be named as a substitute.

The Dutchman has been working with the same starting XI in training this week, which included Martinez alongside Maguire.

Ten Hag’s era begins at Old Trafford this weekend with new signings Martinez, Tyrell Malacia and Christian Eriksen all available to feature against Brighton at Old Trafford.

Martinez is the most expensive out of the trio, having arrived in a £56.7 million deal from Ajax this summer.

The Argentina international is capable of playing in several positions.

When asked about the availability of Martinez and Eriksen for the game against Brighton, Ten Hag said during his pre-match press conference on Friday: “We need competition in the squad, but also we are going into a long season with a lot of games.

“We need a lot of good players. They are fit enough to start.”

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