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THE SECRET TACTICAL PLAN RUBEN AMORIM WILL USE TO REPLACE BRUNO FERNANDES
Ruben Amorim rules out Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo for the Newcastle clash as injury problems deepen today.
Ahead of Manchester United's Boxing Day home game against Newcastle, boss Ruben Amorim gave updates on Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo's fitness. United wants to recover from their 2-1 loss to Aston Villa and improve their chances of finishing in the top four. They've only gotten one point from their last two games.
Fernandes Left the Villa Game Early
Last weekend, Aston Villa beat United with two great goals from Morgan Rogers. Now, United is three points behind Chelsea, who are in fourth place. This week, Amorim's team has a chance to tie with Chelsea before Chelsea plays Aston Villa on Saturday night.
The loss at Villa Park was even worse because captain Fernandes had to be subbed out at halftime with a possible hamstring issue. He'll probably be out until the New Year. This is tough for Amorim, since Fernandes has been key in United's midfield this season.
Before Friday's game, Amorim updated everyone on Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo, who didn't play against Villa because of an injury.
Amorim on Four Players' Fitness
At the pre-Newcastle press conference, Amorim said about Fernandes and Mainoo, "They won’t play this game; they're still getting better." I think Kobbie will be back sooner than Bruno. I have an idea when, but we'll see. We have other players, and we might need to try some different strategies.”
Amorim also said that centre-backs Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt would miss the Newcastle game due to hamstring and back problems. We're still working with them. "They can't play this one, but we'll see about the next game," he said.
On a brighter note, Amorim praised academy players Jack Fletcher and Shea Lacey, who both made their debuts as subs against Villa. Jack Fletcher was great, and that’s why we need to give chances to guys like him, Amorim said.
About Fletcher and Lacey's debuts, Amorim added, "They're normal, good kids." They’ve been great this week. They haven't changed just because they played for Manchester United.
They’re focused, getting ready for the game, and they think they can play. That’s good. They’re the same as they’ve been for the past few weeks.
'No Replacing Bruno'
Fernandes' absence is a blow, and he's hoping to be back for the Manchester derby next month. Amorim said it's 'impossible' to replace him: It is impossible to replace Bruno. This morning, I told the team that this is a time for others to step up.
Not just with creating plays, but also with set pieces. He organises the team, and this is a chance for everyone to understand we can't rely on one player for everything.
We sometimes count on Bruno for organising and creating. We’ve lost Bruno in set pieces, so this is a big deal, but it’s a chance for players to show the leadership we need.”
About what the team loses without Fernandes, Amorim added, "Everything." He knows every position. He pays attention to everything. During set pieces or subs, he tells everyone where to be.
But this is great for guys like Licha, Luke Shaw, and others. We need more leaders to step up because this can happen to Bruno. It’s not common, but it can, so this is a big chance for the other guys.”
Several Absences for United
United will be missing several key players against Newcastle. Besides Fernandes, Mainoo, Maguire, and De Ligt, Mbeumo, Amad, and Noussair Mazraoui are playing for Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Morocco, respectively, in the Africa Cup of Nations.
But Casemiro is back after missing the Villa game due to suspension.
EX-CAPTAIN NEVILLE CLAIMS SUBSTITUTIONS MADE MANCHESTER UNITED "WORSE" AGAINST WOLVES
Gary Neville slams Ruben Amorim’s "weird" substitutions and tactical shifts after Manchester United's 1-1 draw with bottom-side Wolves.
Gary Neville said that the performance of Manchester United in their match against winless Wolves was ‘the baddest of the bad.’
United would have moved fourth in the league with a win at Old Trafford last night, although Wolves, who had two points in 18 games before kickoff, ended their record of 11 straight losses with a 1-1 draw.
Amorim’s team had been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by a League Two team, Grimsby, in August, but Neville was convinced that United had hit rock bottom in a game that could have been even more one-sided were it not for two important saves by Senne Lammens.
“That was the baddest of the bad," the former United captain declared on the Gary Neville podcast.
“They weren’t just booed off at the final whistle. The fans waited in the stadium to continue to boo them. They’ve gone backwards.”
United had won at Newcastle 1-0 on Boxing Day, despite being plagued by an injury list that already lacked skipper Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire, and Matthijs de Ligt, as well as three players on African Cup of Nations duty.
But they remained flat right from the first whistle, and the header by Ladislav Krejci just before the half bottled Joshua Zirkzee's deflected shot.
Amorim’s formation choice of 3-4-3 was brought into focus once more as the Portuguese opted to go back to his preferred tactic of four at the back against Newcastle.
“This isn’t right. I’ve watched enough of United over the last five or six weeks to know what looks right and what isn’t right,” Neville had declared 20 minutes into his commentary on Sky Sports.
“Because, when I see that we go back (to three at the back) after five minutes tonight, I’m thinking, no, Ruben, why have you done that?
"The manager has to look at that and think, I got that wrong. I complicated it."
However, Amorim decided to substitute Zirkzee at halftime and brought on an 18-year-old Jack Fletcher, who made his third appearance at the senior level.
Regarding substitutions made by Amorim, Neville further added, “They made Manchester United worse. Every single substitution was ridiculous.”
‘If Zirkzee was injured, and it was a tactical substitution, that was a very poor one.’ But Zirkzee isn't Eric Cantona, not by a long shot, and he had to get out there for physicality, for presence, for experience.”
SEE LISANDRO MARTINEZ’S FURIOUS REACTION AFTER MAN UTD’S SHOCK WOLVES DRAW
Lisandro Martinez demands more after Man Utd’s 1-1 draw with bottom-placed Wolves. United ended 2025 sixth in the Premier League.
Stand-in captain Lisandro Martinez was mad that Manchester United dropped points against Wolves, who are at the bottom of the league.
United came into the last game of 2025 after a good win against Newcastle on Boxing Day and were expected to easily beat Wolves.
Joshua Zirkzee scored first for United, but they didn't take their chances. Ladislav Krejci's header tied the game for Wolves, 1-1.
It was only their third point in 19 games, and it stopped their 11-game losing streak. United fans booed at the end of the game.
When Martinez was asked if it felt like a disappointing point, he said, 100 percent.
We are very disappointed. We can't keep drawing or losing points at home. We have to win.
We want to be at the top, competing with the best.
We can't drop points in games like this. We just have to accept it and be hungry for the next game.
Martinez was captain again because Bruno Fernandes is still recovering from an injury.
When United coach Ruben Amorim was asked about injured players for the game against Leeds on Sunday, he didn't give much away. Leeds are really wanting to beat United for the first time since 2010.
Martinez said to MUTV, You can either make excuses, or you can be strong and say, 'We're dropping points, so we need to go for the next one and show what we can do.'
We need to work together and do the easy things to get the three points.
United is in sixth place in the league at the end of 2025, only two points behind Liverpool for the last Champions League spot. Liverpool has a game in hand.
They could be in a better position if they had been better in both boxes. Leeds has been playing well lately, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin doing great up front.
Martinez added, It's about us. I don't like to think about other teams.
I'm thinking about what we can do to get better as a team every day, and we have to learn from this game.
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