Gary Lineker has revealed what he spotted about Manchester United’s performance against Crystal Palace after making a powerful point about summer signing Matheus Cunha.
Ruben Amorim on Friday confirmed that Matheus Cunha and Red Devils duo Harry Maguire and Benjamin Sesko would all miss the Red Devils’ trip to Selhurst Park.
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Cunha has missed his side’s last two Premier League matches, with the 26-year-old picking up a knock in training ahead of Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat to Everton.
Amorim has hinted that he expects the former Wolves star to potentially return to the United first-team squad for the West Ham match at Old Trafford on Thursday.
The absence of Cunha was felt in United’s performance against 10-man Everton at Old Trafford last Monday, with the Red Devils lacking his attacking influence.
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Matheus Cunha in action during a first-team training session as part of Manchester United’s pre-season tour of the USA in 2025 at the Endeavor Health Performance Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Gary Lineker’s feelings on Man Utd not having Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko for the Crystal Palace match
Benjamin Sesko was injured for Manchester United in November and the Slovenian striker is believed to be out of action for the Red Devils for at least a month.
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Gary Lineker admitted that he felt United were lacking attacking options against Crystal Palace after Sesko and Matheus Cunha missed the Premier League match.
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Man Utd player ratings vs Crystal Palace, November 30, 2025
Man Utd player ratings vs Crystal Palace, November 30, 2025
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Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, he said: “But United won the game, which they’ll be delighted about.
“But I looked at them and I still looked and I thought, ‘They’re really short.’
“I mean, I know Cunha was out and Sesko’s injured at the moment as well. So, they were a bit short at the top.
“But I just, I mean, I did this day before the game, I looked at the two teams and it’s great when you’re actually at a game.”
Palace hosted United at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon and the Red Devils came from 1-0 down to seal a sensational 2-1 victory in the Premier League clash.
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Joshua Zirkzee 8
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Lineker, who was in attendance at Selhurst Park, revealed that at one point he was questioning how many of Ruben Amorim’s players would make the Palace team.
“It’s nice to be able to go on to watch matches and stuff more nowadays,” he continued.
“So, I looked at the two teams and I said to myself, and this would be a question you’d have always asked the other way round.
“I asked myself the question, ‘How many Man United players will get into Crystal Palace’s team?’
“And it’s probably the wrong time to say this because United won the game. But I only had about two, maybe three. Yeah.”
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Jean-Philippe Mateta broke the deadlock for the Eagles in the first half after successfully retaking his penalty against Senne Lammens at Selhurst Park.
However, United rallied back against Palace and striker Joshua Zirkzee pulled his side level in the second half before Mason Mount fired the Red Devils into the lead.
Lineker asked Rest Is Football co-hosts Micah Richards and Alan Shearer what they felt about the United match after Palace made a strong start on Sunday afternoon.
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Mason Mount in action during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United at Selhurst Park in 2025 in London, England.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Speaking on the United result, the former England and Barcelona striker said: “Palace was so dominant in the first half.
“I mean, United weren’t very good at all. They missed two or three really, really good chances.
“They managed to get a penalty and we didn’t really know what was going on in the ground.
“It was a double touch, obviously, at some point, but he managed to score on his second effort.”
United are seventh in the Premier League table after the Red Devils returned to winning ways under head coach Amorim on the weekend.