With Ruben Amorim gone, the fate of quite a few Manchester United players is about to change.
That was visible during the Burnley game under Darren Fletcher, with Patrick Dorgu, criticised by the former head coach, playing on the left flank with a lot more freedom.
Benjamin Sesko returned to scoring ways, while academy wonderkid Shea Lacey also got minutes and nearly scored a stunner.
Academy stars and overlooked players are likely to see more minutes, starting Sunday when the Red Devils take on Brighton in the FA Cup.
Joshua Zirkzee’s fortunes to improve
Joshua Zirkzee, who had started only four Premier League games all season, is expected to feature more heavily now that Amorim is gone.
The 24-year-old has two goals and an assist from only four starts, which shows how effective he can be if trusted.
The Dutchman was ready to jump ship and join AS Roma in January to play more regularly, but with a new caretaker manager to come, INEOS have blocked his exit.
As a result, AS Roma director Ricky Massara finally admitted defeat in his pursuit of the Netherlands international.
AS Roma end their pursuit
“Manchester United have CLOSED all doors now with the managerial change – It looks highly unlikely to sign Zirkzee now,” he was quoted as saying by Fabrizio Romano.
🚨🛑 AS Roma director Ricky Massara: “Manchester United have CLOSED all doors now with the managerial change”.
“It looks highly unlikely to sign Zirkzee now”. pic.twitter.com/3Eg0iuOTIo
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 10, 2026
With United likely to play more attacking football and Fletcher expected to throw caution to the wind in case his team is trailing, Joshua Zirkzee could be needed to step up and deliver if he starts on the bench.
Playing him closer to the striker instead of him up top on his own has already worked, as seen during the Leeds game.
Keeping the former Bayern Munich ace seems the prudent choice, especially as the new interim boss will need all the help he can get if he is to guide the 20-time English league champions back into the Champions League.
Feature image Michael Regan via Getty Images
The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social