Rúben Amorim will be hoping to welcome back some injured players as Manchester United travel to face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Rúben Amorim’s start to the 2025/26 season has been underwhelming, with Manchester United managing just one win, one draw, and two defeats in their opening fixtures.
The campaign opened with a narrow 1-0 loss to Arsenal, a game that at least hinted at promise. A 1-1 stalemate away at Fulham followed, but it did little to inspire confidence.
Things went from bad to worse in the Carabao Cup, where United crashed out to League Two side Grimsby Town on penalties after a 2-2 draw. Their first win finally arrived shortly after, a 3-2 victory over Burnley thanks to a stoppage-time penalty from Bruno Fernandes.
Attention now turns to the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium after the international break, with Amorim hoping his side can raise their level.
Cunha could return vs Man City
United’s last fixture, the 3-2 win over Burnley, allowed fans to have a happy end to the first few weeks of the season after the club’s initial struggles. Since the win, United announced the signing of goalkeeper Senne Lammens, with André Onana joining Turkish side Trabzonspor on loan.
There have been questions about whether Lammens could be handed his first start for United away against Pep Guardiola’s City side, but according to reports, Altay Bayındır is currently considered the club’s starting goalkeeper, so Lammens may only make an appearance on the bench.
As for the injury to Matheus Cunha, the Brazilian international has hinted he may be fit in time to play against City. After heading off with a hamstring injury in the first half against Burnley, many feared the worst, but the 26-year-old has since dropped many fitness hints across the last week or so.
Noussair Mazraoui made a 12-minute cameo in the club’s last fixture and showed his excellent quality despite it being his first appearance since a pre-season tie in July.
Liandro Martínez is nearing a return to the squad, but is expected to be at least a few weeks away from competitive action due to ongoing rehabilitation for a knee injury, with a potential return at the end of September.
Amorim has a fresh chance to make a statement
United’s first three fixtures were an overall disaster, but against City, he has the chance to put things right.
The Burnley result allowed United’s players, fans, and others within the club to end August on a high note, but with the team now starting to click on the field, Amorim must look to put in a statement win or score draw against City.
Read More: Wayne Rooney shows true colours with classy response to Michael Owen’s ‘better than’ claim
United have created multiple good chances so far in the Premier League, but have failed to convert a lot of them, with new striker Benjamin Šeško and Cunha yet to get off the mark, while Bryan Mbeumo has two to his name so far.
United need to be clinical against City, who have looked shaky at the back, having lost to Brighton and Tottenham in their last two games.
There is a serious chance of an attack at the Etihad Stadium, and Amorim must take it. If his squad can sink Manchester City and win across town, it would simultaneously give them a signifiacnt boost up the table, add to Guardiola’s current woes, and very much hand the Premier League a statement of intent.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.