Ruben Amorim has selected a strong starting XI for Man United's Premier League clash with Chelsea tonight.
Ruben Amorim is interviewed by Sky Sports.
Ruben Amorim has named a strong starting XI this evening.(Image: Sky Sports.)
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has explained his decision to name a strong starting XI for tonight's Premier League clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Amorim, despite making five changes from last weekend's 2-0 defeat to West Ham United, has named a strong team for his side's penultimate league game of the season, with Harry Maguire, Patrick Dorgu, Bruno Fernandes and Amad all starting.
Mason Mount has also been included in the starting XI as he looks to support Rasmus Hojlund in attack. Fernandes is poised to operate next to Casemiro in the centre of midfield.
With just five days to go until the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao, some thought Amorim could name a second string side this evening. However, he believes playing some of his key players will be beneficial to their final preparations.
Amorim told Sky Sports: "We have five days to prepare for the final. My focus is on this game and sometimes the best way to prepare for a final is to play, to compete.
"We have experienced some problems in that area. I want to see my team compete, I need to understand my team to prepare the final in a better way and they need time to prove themselves to be ready for the final.
"We also need to compete in the Premier League."
United have had to deal with a plethora of injury problems throughout the season, meaning Amorim's decision to start the likes of Maguire and Fernandes this evening could be considered a risk. But as the United boss has rightly pointed out, injuries can happen at any time.
"The biggest problems we have had this season were in training," Amorim added. "We had Amad [injured] in training with one simple play.
"We had a big injury with Kobbie Mainoo during the season in training, so we never know where there is danger. We have time to recover.
"We need to be ready to compete. Let's compete today."
Here at the Manchester Evening News, we're dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And finally, if you'd rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.