The red half of Manchester is holding its collective breath in this international break while being on the lookout for any Matheus Cunha injury update.
Matheus Cunha had to come off in the first half of the game against Burnley with an apparent hamstring injury.
Non-contact injuries are always more worrying, which is what Cunha picked up against Burnley. Man Utd fans faced a nervous wait with the Manchester derby on the horizon.
After withdrawing from the Brazil squad, Cunha focused on getting ready to return as quickly as possible. He has now given the latest on his injury.
Matheus Cunha down with a hamstring strain
Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images
Matheus Cunha injury update
It goes without saying that even though Ruben Amorim has been extra cautious with injuries this season, a fit Cunha will play against Man City.
His ball-carrying and dribbling skills on transition will be crucial against City’s need to dominate the ball, even if it’s only off the bench.
When Cunha went down holding his hamstring against Burnley, it didn’t look like there was any chance of him playing in his first Manchester derby.
But as per the player’s Instagram, he’s clearly doing everything he can to stage a miraculous recovery.
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Posting a picture of himself riding a bike in the gym, Cunha wrote, “The time is flying”, with a ticking clock and a dynamite emoji.
Matheus Cunha injury update message
Matheus Cunha injury update message
It potentially hints at him being ahead of the curve on his recovery, and a potential miracle about to happen with the ticking clock and dynamite “blowing up”.
It could mean something else, too, but it falls right in line with Cunha’s earlier update, which struck a positive tone as well.
Ruben Amorim could have double boost for Manchester derby
Cunha’s potential boost is huge for Amorim, but he could well have two returnees to call upon for the marquee derby.
Besides Cunha, Mason Mount was also substituted at half-time against Burnley, with Amorim revealing later that he was playing through an injury.
However, Mount’s sub was more about injury prevention and caution instead of damage limitation, so he could return as well.
That double boost will be invaluable for Amorim, having already seen Joshua Zirkzee make a positive impact after coming on vs Burnley.
Add to that Benjamin Sesko playing 90 minutes for Slovenia and catching the eye in the international break, and the Man Utd squad looks in much better shape all of a sudden.
Now it’s all about leveraging that squad and form to win at the Etihad for the second year in a row.