Ole is in a big defensive headache after injured Maguire and Varane leave a defensive hole ahead of a daunting run of games.
Before the end of November, Solskjaer’s side have to play Leicester, Atalanta (twice), Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester City, Villarreal, Chelsea and Arsenal in the absence of two first-choice central defenders.
That’s the headache potentially facing Solskjaer, however, after Raphael Varane limped out of France’s win over Spain in the final of the UEFA Nations League on Sunday night.
The £43million summer arrival from Real Madrid will be out ‘for a few weeks’ with a groin problem.
Harry Maguire, meanwhile, is suffering from an ankle injury and missed United’s two games against Villarreal and Everton prior to the internationals having hobbled off against Aston Villa.
Maguire, who also missed out on England duty this week, is understood to have taken part in some light training on Monday but looks like being touch and go for the visit to his old club Leicester on Saturday afternoon.
Not only do these problems deprive Maguire and Varane of opportunities to build their understanding of one another’s games, but it leaves Solskjaer with a quandary over who should replace them.
The most likely partnership against Leicester will be Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly but this doesn’t inspire a great deal of confidence.
Due to Maguire’s good fitness record, it hasn’t been a pairing we’ve seen too often under Solskjaer – but on the last three occasions that we have, United have suffered defeat.
One came last month when United was dumped out of the Carabao Cup by West Ham. Before that, the Europa League final against Villarreal ended in penalty shoot-out heartbreak. A few days prior to that, there was a 4-2 loss at home to Liverpool.
That West Ham game constitutes Bailly’s one and only appearance so far this season, a result of him being bumped to fourth on the central defensive pecking order by Varane’s arrival.
Lindelof started the season alongside Maguire but knew he would soon be phased out to make way for Varane. As it’s turned out, Maguire’s injury meant he started alongside Varane in the win over Villarreal and the draw with Everton.
So the omens of Bailly and Lindelof playing together aren’t great. In fact, the prospect will send a shudder through quite a few United fans.
Lindelof has often been criticized for lacking presence in the air – a weakness disguised by Maguire’s aerial strength – and for backing off too much when attackers run at him.
Bailly can have the opposite issue, lunging in a bit too readily and recklessly at anyone who comes at him with a bit of pace.
So Jamie Vardy will be licking his lips at the prospect of facing them both this Saturday, not to mention the other high-class attackers coming United’s way in the next few weeks.
Perhaps Solskjaer could throw a curveball and bring Phil Jones back into the fold to partner either Bailly or Lindelof.
But this is obviously fraught with risk. The erstwhile England defender has played only two reserve games to get back up to speed since a 20-month lay-off with a horrendous knee injury.
Though Jones has been back in full training for a while, Solskjaer may be envisaged his first-team return being a cup tie against League One opposition or something rather than a trip to the King Power Stadium.
He partnered Lindelof quite a few times during Solskjaer’s first season as United boss but that’s getting on for three years ago.
Beyond that, Solskjaer allowed Axel Tuanzebe, who showed some promise in the position, to go out on loan to Aston Villa, while youngster Teden Mengi has played only one first-team game.
United’s manager never expected to lose both Maguire and Varane at the same time, of course, and the timing of their absence couldn’t be worse.
Solskjaer finds himself under serious scrutiny following a start to the season that wasn’t disastrous but hasn’t been fully convincing either.
United are fourth in the Premier League table and only two points behind leaders Chelsea, but they have dropped five points in their last two outings, at home to Villa and Everton.
It required a 95th-minute winner from Cristiano Ronaldo against Villarreal to avoid it being just one point from the first six available in the Champions League.
And with the Norwegian boss under no illusions he must deliver a piece of silverware this season or likely face the chop, crashing out of the Carabao Cup to West Ham was far from ideal.
Now the real examination of this United team is about to begin and with a gaping hole at the back.
Solskjaer will have to hope either the injuries to Maguire and Varane are less serious than first feared or their stand-ins can step up to their level.