Rúben Amorim may start Amad at right wing-back as Manchester United line up to face Chelsea in the Premier League on Friday evening.
Manchester United are bracing themselves for their penultimate Premier League clash of the 2024/25 season, as Rúben Amorim’s struggling side head to Stamford Bridge for a high-stakes Friday night showdown with Chelsea.
It’s the final away day of a dismal campaign that will come to a close at Old Trafford on Sunday, 25 May, when United host Aston Villa in what could be a tense and uncomfortable finale in front of their own fans.
But before that, all eyes will be on the Europa League final—United’s last shot at redemption—where they’ll face Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao on Wednesday, 21 May, knowing that failure there would seal a season defined by collapse.
With just 39 points and 16th place in the table, United have already confirmed the worst Premier League season in their history, and the pressure is only building.
Amad may start as a wing-back
Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Amorim stated that he will use this Chelsea fixture to determine the final additions to the starting team that will play against Spurs next week. He hinted that the side may mostly consist of first-team players on Friday.
While Altay Bayındır has started United’s last two Premier League ties, with United one game from the final, Amorim may start André Onana to keep his rhythm going.
As for the centre-backs, United have limited options with Ayden Heaven, Matthijs de Ligt, and Leny Yoro all injured.
With Luke Shaw unlikely to start in order to preserve his fitness, Amorim will have little choice but to start Noussair Mazraoui, Harry Maguire, and Victor Lindelöf, although the former two make come off to preserve them head of the Bilbao trip.
As for the wing-backs, with Diogo Dalot out, Amad may return to wing-back to get further minutes in his legs and trial him in the position, while Harry Amass may play at left wing-back as Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu has started many fixtures of late.
In midfield, Amorim may drop Manuel Ugarte after his “Sunday League level” performance against West Ham last weekend to trial Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes as the deeper two players ahead of the Europa League final.
With the front three, although there is a chance Chido Obi may be handed his second start, it is more likely that he will want Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Højlund to keep their rhythm and play them from the off, possibly for 60 or 70 minutes.
With Amad at right wing-back and Fernandes in a deeper role alongside Casemiro, this gives Mason Mount the perfect chance to put in an audition from the off against Chelsea on the left flank following his impressive cameo in the semi-final second leg.
United predicted XI vs Chelsea:
Onana, Mazraoui, Maguire, Lindelöf, Amad, Casemiro, Fernandes, Amass, Garnacho, Højlund, Mount.
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