The woes of Manchester United's ailing defender Harry Maguire reached a new nadir on Tuesday evening, with the 30-year-old stealing the headlines yet again for all the wrong reasons following his dismal substitute appearance for England in the 3-1 victory over Scotland.
While international duty has been something of a welcome solace in the past for the former Leicester City man amid his woes in Manchester, it was a night to forget at Hampden Park as the struggling centre-back turned into his own net after having replaced the injured Marc Guehi at the interval.
Just when the experienced asset was in need of a break after a turbulent period at United that has seen him stripped of the captaincy by manager Erik ten Hag, the footballing gods dealt the defender another cruel blow to heap the pressure onto his creaking shoulders.
Now something of a laughing stock and the centre of mockery for rival fans – having been jeered by the home support earlier this week – to his credit the £190k-per-week man has suggested that he can handle the criticism flooding his way, with national team boss Gareth Southgate branding the scrutiny on the player "an absolute joke" after his role in reaching a World Cup semi-final and a European Championship final over the past five years or so.
While on the evidence of recent times, Southgate is likely to continue to select the Sheffield native for international duty, at club level the picture is far less clear, with Maguire's place in Ten Hag's plans still rather uncertain.
What has gone wrong for Maguire at Man United?
It is easy to categorise the Englishman's time at Old Trafford as a total disaster from the off, although it should not be forgotten that the £80m signing had initially impressed following his arrival in 2019, having been hailed as "like a rock" by then-pundit Jose Mourinho following his debut in the 4-0 victory over Chelsea.
Equally, it was also not too long ago that both the club and supporters were sweating on his fitness ahead of the 2021 Europa League final, with his subsequent absence seen as a significant blow to the club's hopes of success.
It has been since the start of the 2021/22 campaign that things have quickly tumbled for the 6 foot 3 dud, however, with that season seeing Maguire branded "a walking disaster" by journalist Samuel Luckhurst as he captained the club to their worst-ever Premier League points tally.
Last season was no better, in truth, on an individual note, with the central defender starting just eight league games after losing his place following the early season defeat to Brentford, with that sparking reports heading into the summer that an exit was on the cards.
Despite a £30m bid having arrived from West Ham United, the ex-United skipper opted to stay put and fight for his place, albeit while having made just a solitary, substitute appearance so far this season in the recent defeat to Arsenal.
Games
38
34
30
16
Starts
38
34
28
8
Goals/Assists
2
3
1
0
Total duels won
65%
66%
66%
55%
Interceptions per game
1.9
1.8
1.1
0.8
Tackles per game
1.0
0.9
1.1
0.5
Pass accuracy rate
87%
87%
86%
85%
Average match rating
7.13
7.13
6.91
6.95
Stats via Sofascore
As Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher suggested, Maguire "should have left" the Manchester outfit to join the Hammers, with an end needed to his Old Trafford nightmare.
Who could replace Maguire at Man United?
With the likes of Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof all favoured ahead of the under-fire talent – as well as usual left-back Luke Shaw – in recent times, Maguire is firmly down the pecking order at present with little hope of regaining his place.
While injuries to Varane and Martinez may have opened the door to the former Hull City man, it remains to be seen if he is truly trusted by Ten Hag, with the Dutchman said to view his 'sluggish pace as a problem' – as per The Guardian.
That may ensure that with veteran returnee Jonny Evans the only other senior option, it may not be too long before the United boss looks to the academy ranks to find a solution at centre-back, with young Willy Kambwala one such talent to keep an eye on.
Who is Willy Kambwala?
Hailed as a "transfer coup" by Luckhurst following his arrival from Sochaux back in 2020, the teenage gem was snapped up for a fee of around £3.6m, with United viewing him as a potential star of the future at centre-back.
Unlike the at-times awkward and 'sluggish' Maguire, Kambwala – as Luckhurst noted at the time – appears to possess 'Olympian speed' and 'perceptive passing', ensuring he could be the modern defensive option that Ten Hag is likely craving.
While the 19-year-old is yet to make a first-team appearance for the Red Devils, he has caught the eye in the youth ranks of late, having notably been described as "impressive" by Manchester Evening News reporter Steven Railston after featuring against Arsenal's U21 side back in March.
The DR Congo-born, France youth international will likely be hoping to make the step up sooner rather than later, with the club's current injury woes – and the failings of the hapless Maguire – ensuring that an avenue into the first-team may present itself in no time at all.
What does the future hold for Willy Kambwala?
The towering, 6 foot 4 sensation notably started in the recent 10-1 triumph over Stoke City at Premier League 2 level, with his only other appearance so far this term having come in the EFL Trophy clash with Stockport County.
That 1-1 draw saw the promising talent particularly impress, with his 7.7 match rating, as per Sofascore, the highest of any player for either side, as he won 14 of his 15 total duels on the day, while also illustrating his ability to play out from the back after completing all four of his attempted dribbles.
That had come after the youngster featured off the bench in the pre-season friendly clash with Wrexham, with Luckhurst writing that such an inclusion was just 'reward' following 'several injuries' for the up-and-coming ace.
If not for such injury setbacks a first-team bow may have already materialised for young Kambwala, although the hope will be that supporters can finally get to see him in action at the Theatre of Dreams before too long.
With Maguire – who has already been touted for a January exit – in desperate need of a fresh start, the promotion of the academy titan could prove to be the final nail in the coffin for the England international.