Some Man United players' futures are becoming more certain as valuation changes - Samuel Luckhurst

The first question at Erik ten Hag's post-match debrief on Saturday did not centre on Harry Maguire but Ten Hag made it about Maguire.

"Harry Maguire had an issue in the first half and, luckily for us, he overcame and recovered from it," Ten Hag said with relief. "You can see the second half he was up there and then he can express his leadership, he can express his defensive qualities and rest on the ball, we especially needed that in this back four."

Within eight months, Ten Hag has gone from not needing Maguire to needing him. His specific admiration for Maguire's leadership was a tad rich when he had stripped him of the captaincy but this has been a season of contradictions from the Manchester United manager.

Maguire has had a laudable campaign, especially considering his starting point. Impressionable fans in America and Ireland booed him during pre-season yet when Maguire limped off against Bayern Munich in December he was serenaded by the Old Trafford regulars.

READ MORE: History is starting to repeat itself with the United manager

EXCLUSIVE: Some United players delaying decisions on futures

Andre Onana was playing to the gallery in Las Vegas when he let rip at Maguire during the defeat to Borussia Dortmund. At Bournemouth, Onana offered his teammate a high five during a tactical timeout.

Maguire has not been this valued at United in almost three years. His strengths were more obvious when he was absent for the 2020-21 run-in as United sieved nine goals in five matches. Maguire recovered from injury to earn a place in the European Championship team of the tournament.

The 31-year-old is arguably enjoying his best preparation for a major international finals. He was not visible in the training imagery United published on Tuesday but there is ample time to recover for Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Coventry City.

At last year's semi-final, Maguire was reeling from his role in United's two-legged collapse to Sevilla in the Europa League quarter-final. Without him on the pitch, United led 2-0. With Maguire on the pitch, they lost 5-0. He did not see Erik Lamela coming when his blind pass was intercepted and Youssef En-Nesyri got the fiesta started in the second leg.

Maguire was suspended for the Cup semi-final against Brighton three days later. He still travelled and loitered during the stoppages. Some keyboard warriors attempted to vilify him for not engaging with the players as much as matchday captain Bruno Fernandes. Maguire was never going to pull rank and pull his kit on like John Terry.

This weekend, Maguire is as certain to start at Wembley as the inheritor of his armband (if fit). United's other four senior centre halves are sidelined for the rest of the month, two are out of contract in June and Victor Lindelof is next year.

Gutting an entire department can leave you without organs. United let Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra go in the summer of 2014 and only brought in one out-and-out defender in Marcos Rojo. The memory of Rojo once caused Ryan Giggs, United's assistant manager back then, to shake his head.

Louis van Gaal thought Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans would be robust enough. Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair were drafted in. Daley Blind had to be rebranded as a centre back the following season.

Maguire's contract has a maximum expiry date of 2026. He had one foot out of the door in the summer but he is now likely to stay. He is fit and not as urgent or obvious a sale as Lindelof.

United still have a goal difference of -1 and the wall in front of their back four is made of plaster. Casemiro is on his last legs but would still start on one leg, such is the peripheral status of Sofyan Amrabat. The Moroccan has started one game in four months.

Amrabat will be returned to Fiorentina and the retirement home of the Saudi Pro League is calling for Casemiro. Christian Eriksen has another year left on his contract but has started once this calendar year.

Scott McTominay's contract length is the same as Maguire's and he might have been elsewhere by now had United not encountered a problem in Houston with Kobbie Mainoo's ankle injury. Selling academy graduate McTominay would represent pure profit with the profitability and sustainability rules.

United valued McTominay at £40million last summer and he is enjoying his best goalscoring season. There is also the cachet of representing Scotland at the Euros. His value is far greater now, possibly too great for an ambitious Premier League club to table a bid.

Anthony Martial is going and Jadon Sancho, Antony, Mason Greenwood, Amad and Facundo Pellistri could or should go. Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho are the only forwards assured of returning to Carrington when the summer transfer window closes.

However mutually beneficial a departure would be for club and player, there may not be a market for Marcus Rashford. 'Can't' is on the Ineos compass of words they don't like, though.

Some would argue United can't sell Maguire.