Due to a hamstring injury, Casemiro has missed the last two months of play, and Varane has only just returned to the squad following a period of absence.

Ten Hag is willing to cut players in January and has already approved Donny van de Beek’s loan move to Eintracht Frankfurt because there won’t be any European football in the new year and only the Premier League and the FA Cup to play for.

Although Jadon Sancho, who has been out of the team since September, is also anticipated to depart, Varane and Casemiro are still valued members of the team.

According to a source close to ESPN, things could get different if the two make a concerted effort to leave. In that case, Ten Hag would demand that the team acquire replacements, which would be challenging given the requirement to adhere to Financial Fair Play regulations.

John Murtough, the sporting director, warned fans during the December fans’ forum that United would need to be “really disciplined” in their signings.

“We are not expecting it [the January transfer window] to be particularly busy,” Murtough stated.

Deals on the periphery of the team are always possible, especially when it comes to finding opportunities for players who aren’t getting the playing time they want.

“This season has shown us that the Financial Fair Play regulations are serious, therefore we must take great care to make sure we comply, which we will. This calls for future spending to be extremely frugal and to maintain a healthy balance between income and expenses.”

In January, United is still willing to consider low-ball offers, and middlemen suggest that Donyell Malen of Borussia Dortmund and Sancho might go in different ways.

Due to a lack of playing time, Malen is prepared to quit the Bundesliga team, while Sancho is free to sign elsewhere after his public altercation with Ten Hag.

According to a source who spoke with ESPN, Malen, 24, is thought to be worth roughly £25 million ($31.6 million) by Dortmund. While direct negotiations have not yet taken place, a swap trade involving Sancho may become a possibility.