Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo in action for Manchester United
Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo are both back available for Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest
Ruben Amorim has been handed a double boost for Manchester United's Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest. After a great start to his career as head coach, Amorim saw his side beaten 2-0 by Arsenal at Emirates Stadium earlier this week, courtesy of two corners in the second half.
Away from home against a Premier League title challenger, United handled the task very well in the first half but the Gunners' dominance eventually told. Due to the hectic schedule and three major blows coming before the clash, Amorim made a number of starting XI changes.
Mason Mount and Tyrell Malacia were two surprising inclusions with a reshuffle taking place due to Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo being absent because of suspension. Both players picked up their fifth yellow cards of the season against Everton the previous weekend and thus had to serve a one-match ban.
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Following that, Mainoo and Martinez are expected to return to the matchday squad, however Luke Shaw will definitely be absent. Having featured off the bench in Amorim's first three games, the defender released a statement confirming he had suffered an injury setback ahead of the Arsenal clash.
Asked about the new Shaw blow Amorim said "What I can say since I arrived, I see him in the medical department working a lot in the gym, working a lot on the pitch, we control the load during the games, during the trainings, he was losing weight, so he was doing everything," he said when speaking on Amazon Prime.
"If he continues to do that behaviour, he’s a top, top player and we need him. No matter how long he will need, I will be with him, we will help him to return, not just Manchester United but your national team needs a guy like Luke Shaw, so we are here to help him."
Leny Yoro meanwhile, made his Manchester United competitive debut after missing the first few months of the season with a fractured ankle. He played the final 30 minutes at Emirates Stadium and therefore could be in line for a start against Forest, given the defensive injury issues Arsenal are facing.
Jonny Evans started Amorim's debut against Ipswich Town but has not featured in a matchday squad or training session since being replaced in the 56th minute. Victor Lindelof meanwhile, is edging much closer to a return with Amorim able to issue a positive update on Friday.
"Victor returned to training but is not available for tomorrow. Maybe the next game, he will be available," he said in a press conference. As for Nuno Espirito Santo, he seemingly only has two injury absences to deal with following recent returns for the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson.
Just 15 minutes into the 2024/25 campaign, Danilo suffered a serious ankle injury which he is yet to return from. Fellow midfielder Ibrahim Sangare then picked up a hamstring injury in September and has subsequently missed the following three months.
Both players are expected to return relatively soon, but neither will make the trip to Old Trafford on Saturday evening.
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