Erik ten Hag left Harry Maguire sweating on his place for Saturday's trip to Southampton by warning him that being Manchester United captain does not guarantee him game-time.
Maguire was dropped for Monday’s rousing 2-1 win over rivals Liverpool, with Raphael Varane preferred alongside £55million summer signing Lisandro Martinez.
The 29-year-old accepts that he is fighting for his future at Old Trafford, with Ten Hag suggesting rotating his defenders will become a theme this season.
That Maguire is club captain will not enter Ten Hag’s thinking when deliberating team selection ahead of Saturday's trip to the south coast.