Ruben Amorim urges Man United players to step up after Bruno Fernandes injury

Bruno Fernandes was forced off in the first half of last week’s defeat to Aston Villa. Reports suggest the midfielder is suffering from a soft-tissue injury and will be sidelined for several weeks. This is a major blow for United ahead of their Boxing Day clash with Newcastle.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Amorim was asked about replacing Bruno, especially with Kobbie Mainoo also injured. “It is impossible to replace Bruno, but I said that this morning to the team that we need to take the good thing, if there is a good thing in that, which is that a lot of people need to step up,” the head coach said.

“It is not just the creativity. Every set piece, he is the guy organising the team, and that is a good opportunity for everyone to step up and understand that we cannot rely on one player for everything.” Amorim also mentioned Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo, who have contributed on set pieces but are currently away with their national teams at AFCON.

The 45-year-old manager stressed that this is the moment for others to show leadership. He added: “This is a very good opportunity for guys like Licha [Lisandro Martínez], Luke Shaw, all these guys. We need to step up and have more leaders in the group because this can happen to Bruno. It is not usual, but it can happen, so it is a big opportunity for the other guys to show the leadership that we need.”

Amorim confirmed that both Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo will miss the Newcastle game. While he expects both to return in the near future, Mainoo is likely to be back sooner, with Bruno’s return date still unclear.

After Bruno went off against Aston Villa, Amorim deployed Lisandro Martínez in midfield alongside Manuel Ugarte. In the 73rd minute, he introduced 18-year-old Jack Fletcher, the son of former United midfielder Darren Fletcher, to partner Martínez. The Portuguese manager praised the youngster’s performance and indicated he could be an option against Newcastle.

Manchester United will face Newcastle at 3:00 AM on December 27 (GMT+7). Amorim’s side currently sit seventh in the Premier League with 26 points, while Newcastle are 11th with 23 points.