Ruben Amorim is preparing for his first Manchester derby experience just a month into the job.
Although Amorim has not yet been able to grasp the intensity of this match, he has seen it first hand Manchester City disappearance The Portuguese manager led Sporting CP to an emphatic 4-1 win over Pep Guardiola’s side before taking charge at United.
City’s slide has proved it’s no mistake, but you know what they say about form when a derby happens…
United are hard at work with Amorim in charge, and Sunday’s result will not define the new manager’s reign. However, a big win in the derby will go a long way in ensuring the entire fan base is on board after a period of turmoil.
We can’t project the outcome of what looks to be an unpredictable game on paper, but we do know that United have very few injury worries. There has been considerable turnaround on this front since Amorim took over.
Here are the latest Man Utd injury updates.
Victor Lindelof returned to the matchday squad in Plzen on Thursday after being sidelined since the international break in November. The Swede, however, did not appear off the bench.
Harry Maguire and Leny Yoro have also returned from injury-enforced absences in recent weeks. Both want to start the derby.
Jonny Evans was included in Amorim’s starting eleven at Ipswich Town on 24 November but has not played for the Red Devils since then due to an unspecified injury. The veteran defender was back in training ahead of the trip to Viktoria Plzen, but did not travel to the Czech Republic.
With United now healthy in defence, Evans is unlikely to get much of a look. Even if he is fit and available, the Northern Irishman may not be included in Sunday’s squad.
Also, United are also without Luke Shaw due to a hamstring injury. The left-back had made three consecutive appearances off the bench at the start of the new manager’s reign after missing much of 2024 with a calf injury. Shaw may not appear again until 2025.
|
player |
injury |
status |
|---|---|---|
|
Jonny Evans |
Not specified |
Doubt |
|
Luke Shaw |
hamstring |
outside |
