Manchester United travel to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, but forward Ruben Amorim has been handed a selection headache.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim will once again be without strikers Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesco for Sunday’s trip to Crystal Palace. Both forwards missed Monday’s 1-0 defeat to Everton through injury and had not recovered in time for the trip to Selhurst Park.
Cunha picked up a bruise in training over the weekend, compounded by the absence of Sesco, who injured his knee in the 2-2 draw with Tottenham before the international break. As a result, Amorim handed Joshua Zirkzee his first start in the Premier League against Everton.
Things didn’t go to plan as Idrissa Gueye was sent off for slapping team-mate Michael Keane and United were unable to outscore Jordan Pickford despite playing with 10 men for much of the game. Supporters were hopeful that Cunha would return for the match against Palace after Amorim described Cunha’s knock as “not serious”, but that was not to be.
“Sesco will take a little more time,” Amorim told reporters at Friday’s pre-match press conference. “It will take a little more time and we are looking after him, as well as Harry (Maguire). We expect Matthäus to be in the next game (Thursday at West Ham), not this one.”
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Centre-back Maguire also missed the game against Everton with a hamstring injury after Cunha picked up the injury in training, but the news leaked after he had to cancel Altrincham’s Christmas lights lighting.
Speaking about Cunha’s problem before the game against Everton, Amorim said: “It was a shock in training so we don’t know how long he will be out. I don’t think it’s serious, but we can’t put our players at risk. When we’re not 100 per cent we have to show everyone that we have another player to deal with the demands of the game.”
United were unbeaten in the Premier League in five games before Kieran Dewsbury-Hall secured three points against 10-man Everton on Monday. It was a poor result for Amorim, who had 25 shots and had 69% of possession at Old Trafford.
“It was really tough. The last week has been tough with this result and this loss, but the process needs to continue and we need to move on to the next game,” Amorim said.
“Looking at the game, we should have won more points. We had the advantage in some games, but we lost control. It’s really disappointing and frustrating, especially after the last game.”
United are 10th in the Premier League with 18 points after 12 games. They go into the weekend three points off the top four in a very crowded top half of the table.
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