Rúben Amorim will be hoping for injury return boosts as Manchester United prepare to face Leeds away from home in the Premier League.
Manchester United will be keen to put 2025 firmly behind them as Rúben Amorim prepares for his first match of 2026, an away trip to Elland Road to face Leeds United on Sunday afternoon.
The previous year was a difficult one for United, marked by missed opportunities and setbacks, including a Europa League final defeat to Tottenham and a disappointing 15th-place finish in the 2024/25 Premier League season.
Things have looked far more promising this time around. Amorim’s side sit sixth at the halfway stage of the campaign, level on points with fifth-placed Chelsea, while Leeds arrive in strong form.
After a slow start that left them hovering around the relegation zone, Daniel Farke’s side are now unbeaten in five matches. They have picked up impressive draws against Liverpool and Sunderland, while also securing home victories over Chelsea and Crystal Palace.
Amorim has been dealing with several injuries in the last few weeks, but will be hoping for a few possible returns ahead of the away tie.
Harry Maguire
What happened: Harry Maguire was substituted with a hamstring injury at the beginning of November against Tottenham.
What’s been said: While there has been no word of an update from Amorim in the last few weeks, the centre-back was spotted training in the gym with the rest of the squad.
Possible return date: 4 January – Leeds (A).
Bruno Fernandes
What happened: Bruno Fernandes was substituted with a hamstring problem against Aston Villa last month and was ruled out for at least four weeks.
What’s been said: “I don’t want to say [how long Fernandes is out,” Amorim said. I have an idea, of course, but let’s see.” It has also been reported that Fernadnes may miss the first three games of January.
Possible return date: 17 January – Manchester City (H)
Kobbie Mainoo
What happened: Kobbie Mainoo was due to start against Aston Villa, but pulled up in training with a minor calf injury.
What’s been said: “I don’t think that it is going to take a lot of time. Kobbie is going to return faster than Bruno,” Amorim noted recently, while reports suggested he would only be out for one or two weeks.
Possible return date: 4 January – Leeds (A).
Matthijs de Ligt
What happened: After facing Crystal Palace at the beginning of December, Matthijs de Ligt suffered a back injury and has not played since.
What’s been said: Earlier last month, Amorim said on the return of De Ligt: “I don’t know, sometimes you have an idea, then you have to see day by day. I’m not going to say when he is coming back.”
Possible return date: N/A
Amad, Bryan Mbeumo, and Noussair Mazraoui
What happened: Amad (Ivory Coast), Bryan Mbeumo (Cameroon), and Noussair Mazraoui (Morocco) were all called up to represent their countries for the Africa Cup of Nations.
What’s been said: “That is the fun part of being a manager, we will try to find solutions with the players that we have,” Amorim said when asked about finding new ways of playing without Amad and Mbeumo.
Possible return date: N/A
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 14:00 pm (GMT) on the United View YouTube channel.