Manchester United Should Drop Struggling $103M Star Ahead of Newcastle Clash, Suggests Rio Ferdinand

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has suggested under-fire Harry Maguire should be rested by the Old Trafford club for the good of the player.

The international break has ended and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Man Utd are set to return to action Saturday when they travel to Newcastle to take on the St. James’ Park club.

Ahead of Man Utd’s Premier League return, Ferdinand was quoted by BBC Sport saying, "In these situations - that I've been in as well - you sometimes need to be taken out of the oven. Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] has a big job on his hands and I think quite an important role to play in this. Whether maybe it's time to give him a little rest, let him gather himself and build that confidence back up."

Man Utd captain Maguire has been struggling on the pitch since his arrest in Greece. On Wednesday, Maguire received two yellow cards before being sent off in the first half of England’s Nations League fixture against Denmark. The Three Lions eventually were reduced to nine-men before losing the game 1-0.

Recollecting the time when he struggled on the pitch, during his playing days under Sir Alex Ferguson, Ferdinand added," I got brought off in one game, I think it was Middlesbrough away, the manager [Sir Alex Ferguson] spoke to me and said 'get yourself back to basics, train well and you'll come back in'. That's what happened and I was fine. It's just sometimes that bit of pressure being taken out that can actually help you."

Maguire produced a decent performance in England’s 2-1 win over Belgium in the Nations League on Oct. 11. Three days later, when England hosted Denmark at the Wembley Stadium, Maguire lasted on the pitch for just 31 minutes.

Ferdinand, who won six Premier League titles with United as well as the Champions League in the 2007-08 season, went on to explain in the same interview that it is hard to “see through the fog” when a player plays a game every three or four days.

"But when you're taken out of the firing line, you get time to sit back and actually analyze yourself, your performance, your preparation, your recovery - all aspects of what goes around a football match or 90 minutes. It's then about rebuilding yourself and playing simple. Effectively trying to get through a game without being seen. It might sound silly but that's the way I used to look at it when I was lacking a little bit of confidence. Because at the moment you're being seen for all the wrong reasons," added former Red Devils captain Ferdinand.

While it is still unknown what Solskjaer has planned for Maguire, the world's most expensive defender, Sportsmail has reported that the Man Utd captain is fully committed to his club duties and is not considering taking a break.

Man Utd are currently placed 16th in the Premier League points table, having lost two out of their opening three fixtures.