The ghost of Erik ten Hag will quickly be forgotten if Ruben Amorim hits the ground running in Manchester.
Great excitement surrounds the young Portuguese manager's arrival, with Ruud van Nistelrooy's interim spell igniting a period of warmth at Old Trafford following a dire start to the 2024/25 campaign under Ten Hag's watch.
Amorim arrives with grand expectations but he'll know full well of the scale of the job on his hands. Manchester United are not going to be fixed overnight. However, it does look like he'll benefit from an improving squad on the injury front as he prepares to make his Premier League managerial bow on Sunday.
Here's the latest Man Utd team news ahead of their upcoming trip to the newly promoted Ipswich Town.
Goalkeepers & defenders
United have been hit with a couple of fresh injury concerns over the break. Lisandro Martinez returned home from international duty early, while Victor Lindelof suffered a hamstring injury while representing Sweden and looks set for a period on the sidelines.
On Martinez, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said: "We saw that he had suffered a blow to his back, but apparently, he had no problem, just pain. When he arrived here, the pain increased a bit, he underwent tests and is not fit to be here."
The defender is bound to be a key figure for Amorim on the left side of defence, but his status for Sunday's game is currently in doubt.
Harry Maguire will miss the start of the new manager's tenure after picking up a muscle injury during United's stalemate with Aston Villa before the October break. There's been little information regarding the Englishman's return, but he's unlikely to feature this weekend and may have to wait until December before he's considered by Amorim.
On a brighter note, Leny Yoro is preparing to make his first competitive appearance for the club since joining in the summer. A foot fracture sustained in pre-season forced Yoro to miss the first three months of the season, but the highly-regarded French centre-back could be included in Amorim's first starting XI at Portman Road.
Long-term absentees Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are also on the comeback trail. Shaw was back in training before the break, while Malacia featured for United's Under-21s last week and will soon be pushing for his first senior minutes in 18 months.
Midfielders
The bulk of Amorim's injury woes lie in defence, with Kobbie Mainoo the only other fitness concern heading into United's trip to Ipswich.
Like Maguire, Mainoo succumbed to an injury at Villa Park in October and has been out of action since. Van Nistelrooy said during his interim spell that the young midfielder was "progressing" in his recovery and Amorim has since been bolstered by the England international's return to training.
Whether he's fit enough to start on Sunday is another matter, but Mainoo is certainly nearing a full return.
Every Man Utd injury concern ahead of Ruben Amorim debut vs Ipswich
Player | Injury | Status |
|---|---|---|
Leny Yoro | Foot | Available |
Victor Lindelof | Hamstring | Doubt |
Harry Maguire | Muscle | Out |
Luke Shaw | Calf | Out |
Tyrell Malacia | Knee | Available |
Kobbie Mainoo | Muscle | Doubt |
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