Darren Fletcher will be hoping for some returns from injury as Manchester United travel to face Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday evening.
Manchester United are heading into their away fixture against Burnley on Wednesday evening in uncharted territory after Rúben Amorim was relieved of his duties on Monday morning.
Following the club’s 1-1 draw with Leeds on Sunday afternoon, the United boss launched into an explosive rant, laying blame at the feet of the board members for a lack of power and trust amid unstable results.
With Amorim out of the door, U18s head coach Darren Fletcher is set to take charge on the touchline, with there being a possibility he will also manage the club’s FA Cup tie against Brighton at Old Trafford on Sunday, too.
United sit sixth in the Premier League table but are level on points with Chelsea, who are 5th, and are still aiming to finish the season by qualifying for the Champions League.
Ahead of the tie, Fletcher will be hoping to see some of his United stars return to training and be available for selection.
Bruno Fernandes
What happened: Bruno Fernandes was substituted with a hamstring problem against Aston Villa last month and has not trained since.
What’s been said: After the fixture against Leeds, Amorim said he was hoping to see “some minutes” from Fernandes soon, hinting he may be able to return to action sooner than initially expected.
Possible return date: 7 January – Burnley (A)
Mason Mount
What happened: Mason Mount came off at half-time of United’s 1-0 win over Newcastle with a minor problem, although he has not featured in the last three squads.
What’s been said: Much like Fernandes, Amorim hinted that Mount may be able to return to action in the coming days, although no strict timeline was given.
Possible return date: 7 January – Burnley (A)
Kobbie Mainoo
What happened: Kobbie Mainoo has missed United’s last four games through injury, having sustained a calf problem prior to the trip to face ASton Villa last month.
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’s most recent update noted. However, he was not included alongside the update about minutes for Mount and Ferandes, so he may not return until the weekend.
Possible return date: 11 January – Brighton (H).
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 official update in the last few weeks, the centre-back was spotted training in the gym with the rest of the squad last weekend.
Possible return date: 7 January – Burnley (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. Amad is due to play in the round of 16, while Mbeumo and Mazraoui are facing off in the quarter finals later this week.
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: One of Mbeumo or Mazraoui will return to United by the weekend, while Amad’s fate remains unclear.
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