Harry Maguire only trained last Friday and he was not fully fit during Manchester United's two-hour epic against Coventry City on Wembley's infamously draining pitch.
Casemiro confirmed in the mixed zone Maguire had "played injured this game. Since the beginning, he was injured. He played injured in the last match".
This correspondent wrote five days before the tie Maguire was expected to be fit and it is just as well he was. Willy Kambwala became the latest fly to drop, leaving Maguire as the only fit United centre-back with first-team experience.
Louis Jackson, the 18-year centre half in a squad for the first time, warmed up rigorously during extra-time after Maguire flagged an issue with the medical staff. With penalties probable, Maguire had experience of converting in a Wembley shootout. His postage-stamp conversion past Gianluigi Donnarumma in 2021 is best-in-class for an England shootout.
READ MORE: Ten Hag lists Fernandes's six key skills after another matchwinning performance
READ MORE: United player ratings vs Sheffield United
Unlike other fragile teammates, Maguire walked freely out of the dressing room. He was an inevitable starter against Sheffield United three days later and scored again with an expert header. Maguire's positioning was of a centre forward as he ensured he did not stray ahead of Auston Trusty.
This is the most important Maguire has been to United in three years. His strengths were more apparent when he was absent for their run-in for the 2020-21 campaign as they conceded nine goals in five games. United were undone by a Villarreal set-piece in the Europa League final.
Most Read
Maguire was the standout centre back at Euro 2020 that summer and he is enjoying his best preparation for a major international tournament. He has impressed in all seven appearances since he returned from injury against Liverpool in the FA Cup last month.
He dominated the aerial duels in the Liverpool area, beefed up an exposed backline at Brentford, held the fort with three different partners at Chelsea until a collapse beyond his control, aided Kambwala on his full home debut against Liverpool, soldiered on against Bournemouth and again in the semi-final, scoring against Coventry and then Sheffield United.
Maguire and Bruno Fernandes, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's captain and best signing, are the two truly in-form United players. Maguire is enjoying arguably his best season at the club, given the starting point.
The 31-year-old was not happy about the circumstances of a possible transfer to West Ham. How could he be? As diplomatic as United attempted to remain, they accepted a £30million offer and attempted to wrest control from his representatives during negotiations. A shortfall in salary scuppered a move.
Maguire also backed himself. Raphael Varane is brittle, Lisandro Martinez had only just returned from injury and Victor Lindelof lacks the key skills of a Premier League defender. West Ham was a good fit had Maguire decided to escape the vortex of negativity he was swirling around in at United.
Yet Maguire has hardly looked back since his first Premier League start against Brentford in October. His headed assist for Scott McTominay's 97th-minute winner spared Erik ten Hag of a nervy October international break and it was the first of 14 successive starts.
When Maguire clutched his groin against Bayern Munich and had to depart prematurely, he was serenaded en masse for the first time in his United career at Old Trafford. In pre-season, he was booed from Las Vegas to Dublin, though a player's reception during competitive games is always the most reliable barometer.
Don’t miss
Arsenal fans cheered when Maguire crossed the white line for United's late 3-1 defeat in September. Brentford fans did likewise on March 30. They could not have been watching Maguire much this season.
He came on for Varane at the interval on Easter Saturday, having missed England's friendly draw with Belgium four days earlier. Maguire was coughing and spluttering as he left the Community Stadium. He has not been fully fit for at least three appearances within the last month but has played through the pain barrier.
Twenty-four starts is a respectable tally and two of those runs were halted by injury. Going off United's timescale, Varane, Martinez and Lindelof should all be available for the FA Cup final.
The left-footed Martinez is essential and, provided he avoids injury, Maguire would be the other deserving starter at centre half. Maguire was in the stands for the Europa League final three years ago and on the bench for both cup finals last year.
For the League Cup triumph over Newcastle, Maguire was introduced late on, seemingly so he was already in his full kit to jointly hoist the trophy with de facto captain Fernandes. Wayne Rooney received a similar gimme on his final appearance for United in the 2017 Europa League final and admitted that was his cue to leave.
Maguire has stayed and could start at Wembley.