Raphael Varane finds himself in a challenging situation with Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag after posting a picture from a ski area during the winter break. The 30-year-old French World Cup winner shared an Instagram photo on Thursday, showcasing his leisure time in an undisclosed snowy location. This week, all United players have been on break.

It is known that United typically prohibits their players from engaging in skiing during the season due to the risƙ of injuries. The photo only reveals the defender standing in the snow with skiers and hills in the background. Upon his return to Old Trafford, he is likely to face questioning.

Manager Ten Hag would be furious if he discovers that the center-back, who has a history of injuries, was skiing without caution. Many European clubs restrict winter sports to prevent their star players from getting seriously injured. In 2022, Bayer Munich’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer suffered a broken leg in a freak ɑccident during the Bundesliga winter break, just after returning from Germany’s disappointing World Cup campaign in Qatar.

A representative for Varane stated last night that he had not been skiing at the lodge. However, the situation may worsen for Varane, who moved from Real Madrid to Old Trafford in July 2021 for £42 million. There are already rumors of Varane wanting to leave United, with clubs in the Saudi Pro League and Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich expressing interest in signing him.

There is one more year that the club can add to Varane’s £340,000-a-week deal, but the current agreement concludes at the end of this season. Manchester United has fielded Varane 18 times this season across all competitions, and the defender has experienced periods of being in and out of the team. At one point, Varane fell behind Harry Maguire in the team’s hierarchy but has recently featured in five of the club’s last six games, missing only one due to illness.