Ruben Amorim finally takes charge of Manchester United for the first time against Ipswich on Sunday as the Premier League resumes but he has also inherited a stack of injury problems for defenders
Ruben Amorim could be without up to seven players for his first game in charge of Manchester United, away to Ipswich on Sunday afternoon – and all but one of them are defenders.
Amorim is waiting for his internationals to return to Carrington in the next 48 hours before introducing his instructions with United lingering in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
And one of the big issues to have affected the final weeks of Erik ten Hag’s time in charge will also impact that start of Amorim’s with a treatment room packed full of centre halves.
Amorim is expected to bring in the 3-4-3 formation that suited him so well at Sporting Lisbon – and it is all not bad news for the new boss at Old Trafford.
Lisandro Martinez was sent back to Manchester by Argentina after arriving with a sore back and it is unclear if he will be fit enough to take on the Tractor Boys.
“We didn’t expect the case of Lisandro,” said Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni before the world champions faced Paraguay. “We saw that he had suffered a blow to his back, but apparently, he had no problem, just pain. When he arrived here, the pain increased a bit, he underwent tests and is not fit to be here.”
Former captain Harry Maguire is not expected to return until early December because of the injury he picked up against Aston Villa in October, while Victor Lindelof, who has missed much of the campaign, limped off with a hamstring problem in the first half of Sweden’s Nations League win over Slovakia on Saturday.
Midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is on his way back from a muscle strain sustained in the same trip to Villa but is not thought to be in consideration for the journey to Portman Road.
Luke Shaw remains a couple of weeks off a return but is back in training following hamstring and calf issues but Tyrell Malacia might be cleared to make his first appearance in 18 months – likely as a substitute – having been given the thumbs up following two surgeries on his knee.
And summer signing Leny Yoro might also finally make his competitive debut for the club this weekend after breaking a foot in pre-season.
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