Manchester United star forced himself into line-up for Arsenal clash despite fighting illness before FA Cup clash: Reports

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire reportedly forced his place in the starting XI for the Red Devils' FA Cup third-round clash against Arsenal. Sunday's tie saw the Manchester outfit emerge victorious on penalties (5-3) after playing out a 1-1 draw.

More importantly, Maguire's presence was key, with the amount of possession that the Gunners held at the Emirates (71%). Now, journalist Andy Mitten claimed on The Athletic's Talk of the Devils podcast that the England international was ill in the lead-up to this fixture (via SPORTbible).

It was seemingly the defender's desperate wish to compete in this tie that forced manager Ruben Amorim to feature him in the first XI. After forming a part of the team, Maguire went on to play 103 minutes, playing the final 42 with 10 men following Diogo Dalot's sending-off in the second half.

The former Leicester City defender has become an integral part of the Manchester United team since Amorim has taken over. He's started the Red Devils' last five Premier League matches and will be expected to do the same against Southampton on Thursday (January 16).

Overall, Maguire has made 18 appearances across competitions this campaign, bagging a goal in the process.

---

MUTV pundit Phil Bardsley hails Harry Maguire's FA Cup performance in Manchester United v Arsenal

Harry Maguire

MUTV pundit Phil Bardsley was in awe of Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire's performance against Arsenal in the FA Cup. The ex-Hull City star made five blocks and one interception whilst on the pitch.

Adding to that, he won seven of his eight duels and managed 11 clearances. Speaking after the Red Devils' dramatic victory on penalties, Bardsley told MUTV’s post-game coverage (via United in Focus):

“I think that’s probably one of the best games I’ve seen him play in a Man United shirt. Absolutely immense, he was a magnet to the ball. Credit to him, he was organizing people."

He added about the defensive unit as a whole:

"I think you can see now, Harry, Martinez and De Ligt have got a real understanding last couple of games, they’ve been fantastic. They’ve been working on stuff, obviously communication, distances, etc. So you know, they’re forming a real good unit. And hopefully we can continue that.”

Maguire and Co. will now need to ensure consistency in the next few weeks in the Premier League. At the moment, the Red Devils are placed 13th in the English top flight, 13 points behind the top four.