Ruben Amorim will have both eyes firmly on winning the Europa League final next week, but Manchester United have a trip to Stamford Bridge to get through first.
With four losses and one draw in the last four Premier League games, it is no wonder Ruben Amorim will want to focus on Europe.
The league is already completely done with Manchester United sitting 16th with two games remaining. This is just one place above the Europa League final opponents, Tottenham.
United do, however, sit just three points off 13th place Everton, which means little difference to 16th, but looks a lot better for Amorim, putting five places between the relegation zone.
So against Chelsea on Friday, United will want to field a strong team to avoid going to 17th, but Amorim will also be wary of causing injuries ahead of the season-defining game.
Photo by Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images
Photo by Molly Darlington/Copa/Getty Images
Ruben Amorim suggests he will field a strong team against Chelsea
United travel to Stamford Bridge for the first time under Amorim, and it will be a game in which he must find the perfect balance between fitness and match sharpness.
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Amorim will regret playing Leny Yoro last weekend after his injury. He will therefore be unwilling to make the same mistake, but is planning to field a team capable of winning against Chelsea, as he told club media.
“The best way is to face the game like we should face the game. We need to perform, we need to win points in the Premier League, and that is the feeling. We talked about that after West Ham.
“So, these small details matter. The only way I know how to prepare for a final, in the normal game for our league, we must play the same way as a final.
“Yeah, we have time to recover. The best thing to prepare the final is to play the game [against Chelsea]. The players have to understand that if you play or don’t play against Chelsea, it means nothing to the final, that is important. I’m just preparing [for] the game of Chelsea, that is my focus. We want to win and we want to perform.
Amorim then elaborated on his big decisions for the game, admitting that he needs players to get minutes on the pitch to avoid being out of match sharpness on Wednesday.
“Then we are going to the same way if there is a player that can get an injury and is not recovered for this game, who would put him at risk of the final he will not play, but if it is not that situation, he will have a lot of time to recover.
“We cannot spend eight or nine days without a game before the final, that is a bad thing for the final. We will prepare for the game.”
Amorim confirmed Yoro, Diogo Dalot, and Matthijs de Ligt will miss the Chelsea clash but remain in with a chance for the final. For Amorim, starting a strong team could backfire if a key player ends up injured.
How Ruben Amorim should line Manchester United up against Chelsea
From Amorim’s comments, we can be sure he won’t make wholesale changes, instead choosing a team that is strong and includes players who will be needed on Friday.
Andre Onana starts in goal in front of a back three comprising Noussair Mazraoui, Harry Maguire, and Victor Lindelof, with Maguire likely to be withdrawn after 45 minutes.
Casemiro will likely start after being rested last weekend, while Bruno Fernandes will want to play as usual. In the wing-back positions, we’d imagine Patrick Dorgu gets an hour with Harry Amass starting.
In attack, Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho should both start, with Mason Mount coming on at the hour mark. Up front, we’d play give Rasmus Hojlund an hour before replacing him with Chido Obi.