Ruben Amorim will have a selection dilemma on his hands for a change when Manchester United host West Ham, with the Portuguese facing a tough decision to drop one of his goalscorers at Crystal Palace
11:34, 02 Dec 2025Updated 11:35, 02 Dec 2025
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 30: Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United at Selhurst Park on November 30, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
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Ruben Amorim has a selection headache ahead of the West Ham clash(Image: Jacques Feeney/Offside, Offside via Getty Images)
It's December and Manchester United find themselves just four points behind second place in the Premier League table. Any sensible United supporter would have jumped at the chance to be in this position at the season's start.
There have been a few blows along the way - the losses to Grimsby Town, Manchester City, and Everton were particularly damaging - but United are well-placed as they head into the winter months.
The match against Crystal Palace felt like a must-win given the recent run of form. United kicked off November with draws against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham, followed by a lacklustre loss to Everton, so they couldn't afford to close out the month with a defeat at Selhurst Park.
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 30: Joshua Zirkzee of Manchester United celebrates scoring their first goal during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United at Selhurst Park on November 30, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Zohaib Alam - MUFC/Manchester United via Getty Images)
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Joshua Zirkzee scored a timely equaliser against Crystal Palace(Image: Zohaib Alam - MUFC, Manchester United via Getty Images)
United will host struggling West Ham at Old Trafford on Thursday night, presenting an excellent opportunity to secure consecutive league victories for only the second time this season.
The internal goal for this campaign was to secure a place in European football. Club sources intentionally didn't specify the Champions League, but it's clear that United should be aiming for a return to that competition.
This means stringing together regular back-to-back wins throughout the season. West Ham have managed just one away win this term, and United can't afford to miss such a golden opportunity.
Matheus Cunha is expected to rejoin the squad for the West Ham clash. Cunha sustained a 'minor injury' in training last month, which was serious enough to sideline him for the matches against Everton and Crystal Palace.
Mason Mount
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Mount celebrates his goal at Selhurst Park(Image: Getty Images)
Cunha's absence was felt, and it's assumed he'll reclaim his spot in the starting line-up once fit, though this would mean one of last weekend's goalscorers being benched.
Amorim kept faith with Joshua Zirkzee for the Palace match, a decision many wouldn't have made. Zirkzee didn't impress against Everton, but was given another opportunity to prove his worth.
This seemed like a poor choice in the first half. Zirkzee alternated good touches with sloppy ones and posed little threat on goal, but he quickly redeemed himself after half-time with a fantastic goal.
Zirkzee isn't known as a natural goalscorer, yet he struck like a seasoned forward, expertly controlling the ball before smashing a volley past Dean Henderson at the near post.
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim reacts during the win over Crystal Palace
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Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim reacts during the win over Crystal Palace(Image: SmartFrame/Every Second Media)
The quality of the finish was such that it was almost as if a Zirkzee lookalike had taken to the pitch for the second half. Such goals haven't been a feature of the Dutchman's inconsistent stint in Manchester.
"It was really important," Amorim said of Zirkzee's goal. "But again, it was not just the goal, even the runs behind. In the first half he struggled on the duels and he won some duels in the second half.
"We improved a lot because of the quality of Josh in the second half. That is important for him to understand. That is not just the goal. We play better because Josh played better in the second half."
Mason Mount made his first start for United since the Liverpool match at Anfield, delivering a solid performance, working tirelessly and netting a goal to make it 2-1.
Manchester United have been handed an injury boost before West Ham with Matheus Cunha back in training
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Manchester United have been handed an injury boost before West Ham with Matheus Cunha back in training(Image: (Photo by Anna Gowthorpe/Shutterstock))
The attacking trio consisted of Bryan Mbeumo, Mount and Zirkzee, leaving Amorim with a tough decision on who to drop from the Palace goalscorers if he wants to reintroduce Cunha into the starting line-up.
It's not beyond the realms of possibility that Cunha starts on the bench. He was named as a substitute against Chelsea in September after coming back from an injury, and Amorim could opt to gradually reintegrate him into the team.
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However, Cunha's previous absence was due to a muscle injury, whereas his recent spell on the sidelines is reportedly due to a training ground accident, which shouldn't be as severe as a serious muscle problem.
If Cunha is immediately brought back into the fold, the difficult choice between Mount and Zirkzee arises. The Dutchman is the likely option to be dropped, but his second-half display against Palace was noteworthy, and there's a school of thought that a forward shouldn't lose their spot after scoring.
Regardless, it's a pleasant selection dilemma for Amorim ahead of the West Ham match.