Manchester United return to Premier League action on Monday night when they host Everton at Old Trafford, but Ruben Amorim could be without a number of key players due to injury.
Manchester United could be without five key players for the match against Everton. Manager David Moyes will return to his old roots on Monday night with the aim of halting United’s recent resurgence.
However, with injuries beginning to plague the Theater of Dreams, coach Ruben Amorim’s team will have to face this challenge without key team members. The Red Devils are currently unbeaten in five games with three wins and two draws, and showed dramatic performances in the second half, securing one point in each of the last two games.
A three-goal or more win at Old Trafford could catapult United into the top four, but even a simple win would be enough to keep the team hot for a Champions League spot. Matheus Cunha, who joined the club in the summer, is an injury concern for United after missing the Christmas lights lighting ceremony over the weekend.
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The former Wolves forward was due to switch on the Christmas lights in Altrincham on Saturday night, but the organization organizing the event said the Brazilian could not attend, citing “medical reasons” for his absence, the Manchester Evening News reported.
“Unfortunately, Mateus Cunha suffered an accident during training today and due to health reasons will not be able to attend tonight’s Altrincham Christmas Lights Switch On,” Visit Altrincham said in a statement.
It is still unclear whether he will feature against Everton, but ESPN reported that Cunha may still be fit to play due to a “minor bruise”.
Meanwhile, Benjamin Sesco will continue to play on the sideline due to injury. The Slovenian was sent off with a knee injury during the 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.
Rumors have surfaced that Sesco could be sidelined for up to a month due to injury.
Regarding Sesko’s situation, Amorim said: “He will be out for a few weeks. We don’t know how long, but it’s not that serious. We have to be careful with him. He will recover.”
“He’s on the road to recovery and feeling better, so we expect him to be back in the next few weeks. I think he’ll be back around the same time as Amadou and Mbeumo leave for AFCON. I don’t want to give any certainty, but we expect Ben to be back by the time they go to camp.”
Defender Harry Maguire will also miss the Toffees’ trip to Old Trafford. The England defender suffered a muscular injury in United’s game against Tottenham before the international break.
Amorim admitted Maguire was “not ready” to play against Everton on Monday night, but it remains to be seen when the England international will rejoin the squad. Koby Mainu is in a race against time to be available for the match against Everton.
The midfielder missed the draw with Tottenham before the international break after suffering a knock. The 20-year-old will need to prove his fitness to feature in the squad.
Amorim also admitted that Mainu had not yet returned to training as of Friday, but remained hopeful that the midfielder would be back in time for the game against Everton. He said, “Coby didn’t train today, but I think I’ll see him tomorrow, so we’ll see.”
Lisandro Martinez is still recovering from a knee injury sustained in February. The problem was serious enough for the Argentine to require surgery, and he has since gradually increased his fitness level in preparation for a return to the starting lineup.
Amorim recently hinted that he expects the Argentina international to return to action in the coming weeks. The player said: “He needs more time to work there, and although he is not working there, he can play in an emergency, but he is not thinking about it.”
“I feel that Lisha is close to being able to play. We have to be careful. He will struggle in the first few minutes, but he is clearly in a better situation than he was two weeks ago.”
As for Everton, former United transfer target Jarrad Branthwaite is absent, as is fellow defender Nathan Patterson. Marlin Rolle is also expected to be sidelined after undergoing surgery during the international break.
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