Ruben Amorim points out an instruction from the Old Trafford touchline.
Ruben Amorim will have to make a change in midfield against Arsenal.
It is not only in attack where Manchester United supporters have had to get used to seeing different combinations since Ruben Amorim took charge for the first time.
The same goes for the midfield department, where the United head coach, who will be eyeing a third successive victory when his side faces Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night, has so far deployed three different partnerships.
After failing to make it off the bench against both Ipswich Town and Bodo/Glimt, Kobbie Mainoo was handed his first opportunity since recovering from injury against Everton on Sunday, being included in the starting line-up.
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He was deployed alongside Casemiro in the engine room, flanked by Diogo Dalot and Amad in the wing-back roles. It meant a complete change in midfield after Manuel Ugarte and Bruno Fernandes had started alongside each other in the 3-2 win over Bodo/Glimt.
Appearing for the first time since October 6, Mainoo would have dreamt of using the opportunity against Everton to try and cement his place back in the team. However, a tug of Dwight McNeil's shirt shortly after half-time resulted in him earning his fifth yellow card of the season, ruling him out of the trip to Arsenal through suspension.
It means Amorim will be forced into tweaking his midfield once again in north London, although his current rotation policy may have meant alterations regardless of Mainoo's suspension. Nevertheless, Mainoo's absence opens the door for someone else to come in and audition for the role.
Facing Arsenal, who have made enormous strides over the last few years, means United head into the contest as underdogs. The Gunners are currently second in the table, are unbeaten at home this season and have scored five goals in each of their last two matches.
Furthermore, their midfield is one of the best the Premier League can offer, with both Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard among the division's elite. Jorginho, who could start, is also a European Championship, Champions League and Europa League winner.
Potentially coming up against such a strong trio, United must consider packing their midfield with as much steel and grit as possible. That means, for the first time in the Amorim era, Casemiro and Ugarte could join forces in the engine room.
Casemiro (right) has not started alongside Manuel Ugarte since Ruben Amorim arrived at Manchester United. (Image: Will Palmer/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images.)
Casemiro has started two of Amorim's first three games in charge, getting the nod against Ipswich and Everton, while Ugarte's only start since being reunited with the former Sporting Lisbon chief was against Bodo/Glimt.
Ugarte was signed right at the end of the summer transfer window to become United's first-choice defensive-midfielder. However, he struggled to force his way into former manager Erik ten Hag's thinking, starting just four times prior to his sacking on October 28.
Ten Hag's exit, however, was a watershed moment in Ugarte's United career, quickly establishing himself as a regular starter under former interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy. He started each of his four games in caretaker charge, starting each of them next to Casemiro.
It was a partnership that grew stronger and stronger during Van Nistelrooy's time at the helm, offering United a sense of balance and aggression at the base of their midfield. Casemiro and Ugarte complimented each other, providing United with plenty of defensive nous and ball-winning credentials.
Of course, the obvious caveat is that United were on home soil for each of those four games and were strong favourites to win three of them. Nevertheless, they were both worthy of credit for their performances.
"I have a good connection with him [Ugarte]," Casemiro said after the final game of Van Nistelrooy's spell in charge. "When one goes forward, the other covers, and vice versa.
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"That is how it has to be - one compliments the other. I think the other games have been like this."
Having worked so handsomely together previously, Amorim should not dismiss the idea of starting them as a midfield pairing in a game where United will face their sternest test since the Portuguese chief's recent arrival.
Fitness will dictate Amorim's thinking, of course, but starting with Casemiro and Ugarte in the centre would be the safest option to try and provide extra cover for the back-three.