Varane won't play for Man U before WCup; Qatar not ruled out

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United defender Raphael Varane won't play for the club before the World Cup after sustaining a hamstring injury but still has a chance of playing in Qatar, United manager Erik ten Hag said Wednesday.

The France international was in tears after breaking down in United's 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday as he feared his World Cup chances were over.

Ten Hag confirmed Wednesday that the center back will not play for United before the tournament but provided hope he could still feature for the defending champion at the World Cup, which starts Nov. 20.

“He is out certainly until the World Cup and will not play in this block for Manchester United,” Ten Hag said.

He was asked if Varane could still make Qatar.

“I think so, but the prognosis we have to wait (for)," Ten Hag said. "We have (to) see how he develops, how his rehab will develop.”

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson