Manchester United head into the Manchester derby with plenty of attention surrounding Michael Carrick’s side, and today’s headlines have added even more to the build-up.
Paul Merson has doubled down on his concerns about Manchester United, Luke Shaw is facing a late fitness test, while Diogo Dalot has outlined the ambitions he has for the club. Away from the derby, Ruben Amorim has revisited his time at Old Trafford, while Fabrizio Romano has made a major claim about academy star JJ Gabriel.
Here are the main Manchester United news and talking points from today.
Paul Merson refuses to change his mind on United
Paul Merson has refused to alter his prediction that Manchester United will miss out on the Premier League’s top five. In our full Paul Merson story, the former Arsenal midfielder said United’s 4-0 Champions League victory over Sabah had not changed his view.
Merson remains concerned about the squad’s depth and defensive quality, and he also criticised the way United managed their lead against Everton. He believes another dropped result in the Manchester derby could leave United under pressure early in the season.
Luke Shaw faces a race against time
Luke Shaw is a doubt for Sunday’s Manchester derby after missing United’s Champions League victory over Sabah. As detailed in our Luke Shaw fitness report, Michael Carrick confirmed that United decided against risking the defender and will assess him over the next few days.
If Shaw is unavailable, Patrick Dorgu is the most likely replacement at left-back. Dorgu started against Sabah and impressed, registering an assist in the 4-0 victory. United are also expected to be without Matthijs de Ligt, Amad, Carlos Baleba and Manuel Ugarte for the derby.
Dalot wants to help United return to the top
Diogo Dalot has made it clear that he wants to be part of the group that takes Manchester United back to the level he remembers from his childhood. In our full Diogo Dalot story, the defender explained that he committed his future to United because he believes it is the best place to be.
Dalot has also made his ambitions clear, saying he wants to win both the Premier League and Champions League with United. He admitted he has never experienced a genuine Premier League title challenge during his time at the club.
Amorim takes another swipe at former United legends
Ruben Amorim has once again referenced the criticism he received during his time at Manchester United. In our full Ruben Amorim story, the former United boss said criticism at his current club was nothing compared with what he experienced at Old Trafford.
Amorim appeared to be referring to former United players who regularly criticised him while working in the media. He said some of those legends lived through a completely different era and had strong opinions about what was happening at the club.
Fabrizio Romano makes big JJ Gabriel claim
JJ Gabriel has continued to attract attention after his stunning UEFA Youth League debut. As reported in our full JJ Gabriel story, the 15-year-old scored a hat-trick in United’s 5-0 victory over Sabah, becoming the club’s youngest player to score three times in the competition.
Fabrizio Romano described Gabriel as one of the biggest talking points around United’s academy and said the club has a “gem” in its hands. Romano also stressed that United now face an important decision over how they manage Gabriel and his involvement with the first team.
Lisandro Martinez Makes Huge Leny Yoro Claim After Sabah Display
Lisandro Martinez Makes Huge Leny Yoro Claim After Sabah Display
Fabrizio Romano Makes Huge JJ Gabriel Claim After Man Utd Hat-Trick
Fabrizio Romano Makes Huge JJ Gabriel Claim After Man Utd Hat-Trick