'Clunky' Matthijs De Ligt 'has been in the gym too much', suggests Chris Sutton, as he calls out the £43m star's lack of mobility in Man United's struggling defence

Mail Sport's Chris Sutton called Matthijs De Ligt 'clunky' aft he was dropped by Manchester United head Erik 10 Hag.

United are enduring their worst-ever commencement to a Premier League season nether nan Dutchman, sitting 14th successful nan apical formation array aft 7 games pinch conscionable 8 points to their names.

Last clip out, they drew 0-0 pinch Aston Villa, helped mostly owed to nan capacity of 36-year-old Jonny Evans astatine centre backmost arsenic Ten Hag changed his first-choice protect pairing.

Harry Maguire collaborated nan veteran until half time, erstwhile he went disconnected injured, but United looked much assured astatine nan backmost aft conceding six goals successful 2 games to Tottenham and Porto conscionable days before.

Evans received praise for his capacity but fans and pundits were besides keen to constituent retired that astir £100million-worth of centre backs were stood down successful favour of nan duo, and Sutton, speaking on nan latest section of Mail Sport's It's All Kicking Off! podcast, criticised De Ligt for his performances truthful acold since joining United.

'[He's] been successful nan gym excessively much,' Sutton told co-host Ian Ladyman. 'I mean, astir group request to get successful nan gym.

'[But] erstwhile he was astatine Ajax and making his measurement and he came to nan fore, not only was he strong, but he was agile, he was mobile.

'He conscionable looks clunky, doesn't he?'

Ladyman, meanwhile, added: 'De Ligt looked for illustration had each nan mobility of an elephant successful nan 2nd half.'

Dutch world De Ligt, signed for £43m from Bayern Munich successful nan summer, has made 9 appearances for United truthful acold this season, including 7 successful nan Premier League.

He appeared to beryllium portion of nan first-choice pairing astatine nan nine alongside Martinez, who moved to Old Trafford 2 years agone from Ten Hag's erstwhile side, Ajax.

'No, thing to do,' Ten Hag told Sky Sports erstwhile asked if nan double dropping was down to needing much reliable cente backs.

He added: 'There is ever unit but nary much unit than successful immoderate different game, Porto was besides a very important crippled and earlier we played Spurs, an important game, and Crystal Palace, wherever we played very good, truthful each crippled is important. Don't make it excessively big, we are calm and composed.

'Not only nan squad but everyone successful nan club. We don't moreover raise this topic, we person to amended arsenic a squad and it's a process.'

Evans started arsenic nan near centre backmost successful nan crippled against Villa, pinch De Ligt slotting successful for Maguire connected nan correct astatine nan break.

He managed to support retired nan likes of Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rodgers successful nan 2nd half contempt struggling, and it remains unclear if he will beryllium first prime aft nan world break.