Man Utd get double boost for Sunderland game as Ruben Amorim selection gamble confirmed

Manchester United host Sunderland at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, with manager Ruben Amorim needing a win to ease the pressure on his job

Ruben Amorim has been handed a double boost ahead of the crucial match against Sunderland on Saturday. Amorim is fighting to keep his job as Manchester United boss after the dreadful defeat by Brentford last weekend and knows another loss could spell the end of his tenure.

United sit 14th in the Premier League before hosting Sunderland at Old Trafford, having won just two of their six matches so far. Having also been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Grimsby, Amorim knows that he is running out of time to turn things around.

Defeat against the newly-promoted Black Cats heading into a two-week international break could trigger owners Ineos to change direction and relieve Amorim of his duties after less than a year in the job. He’s won just 18 of his 49 games in all competitions and desperately needs to find some consistency.

The returns of Casemiro and Amad could be key for the Portuguese boss, with both back in training on Wednesday. Casemiro missed the Brentford game through suspension, following a red card in the 2-1 win over Chelsea the previous weekend, while Amad was granted compassionate leave after a death in the family.

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Meanwhile, Wednesday also saw Tyrell Malacia welcomed back into first-team training. Malacia was part of the so-called bomb squad over the summer, but was the only one of the five players not to find a new club.

The 26-year-old defender saw proposed moves collapse and, with his contract set to expire at the end of June, is in limbo at United. He had been relegated to train with the under-21s, but has been promoted back to the first team after impressing with his professionalism.

The Dutchman has not played for United since January 30 and has made just 47 appearances since joining for £13million from Feyenoord in the summer of 2022. He needed two rounds of surgery on a knee injury which left him on the sidelines for 17 months and is now fighting to get back into the team.

Malacia is behind both Patrick Dorgu and Luke Shaw in the pecking order, but the team’s poor form means Amorim could be tempted to give him an opportunity. He spent the second half of last season on loan with PSV Eindhoven, where he made 12 appearances across all competitions, but is sorely matching match fitness, meaning any involvement could be viewed as a gamble.

However, Amad and Casemiro are likely to return to the starting line-up against Sunderland. Amad had started five of United’s opening six games of the season on the right wing, while Casemiro appears to be the favoured holding midfielder alongside captain Bruno Fernandes.

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