Amorim might have more options on Thursday
Amorim might have more options on Thursday
Ruben Amorim has been keen to stress the need for rotation in his team since he arrived at Manchester United.
United are in the midst of a stacked December schedule in which they will play nine games in just 30 days. A lot of managers will look to use domestic cup games to rotate their team, but with the recent draws handing United a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Tottenham and an FA Cup third round tie against Arsenal, Amorim may not have such a luxury.
The United boss has already used 21 different outfield players in his five games in charge, and that number might be about to tick over to 22.
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United defended dreadfully against Nottingham Forest in their 3-2 defeat last Saturday and with the Manchester derby on the horizon it would be prudent of Amorim to shuffle his defensive pack. Lisandro Martinez should certainly be a contender to sit out Thursday's clash with Viktoria Plzen after his poor showing against Forest.
Leny Yoro was handed his first competitive start for the club in Saturday's defeat and he performed well in the circumstances. If Amorim is keen to name him in his starting XI against City on Sunday he should be afforded a rest in the midweek Europa League match.
Back-to-back wins in Europe mean United are in a far healthier position in the Europa League league table and so Amorim could spring some surprises on Thursday.
The head coach confirmed before the Forest loss that Victor Lindelof could be available for the clash with Viktoria Plzen. The Sweden captain has been out of action since picking up an injury on international duty last month and, although throwing him straight into the starting XI after injury may not be ideal, it could be a good chance for him to get back up to speed while allowing others to rest ahead of the derby.
United sought to sell Lindelof in the summer but the 30-year-old remained at the club, with sources suggesting the centre-back could fill in at left-back prior to the team's switch to a 3-4-3 formation.
If Amorim does look to rest a couple of the players who started in the back three against Forest then Lindelof might be about to make his return.