Rúben Amorim could make at least five changes as Manchester United line up to face Newcastle, with Harry Amass due to make his first start for the club.
Manchester United are set to return to Premier League action on Sunday afternoon as they make the trip to St. James’ Park to face Newcastle United.
The Reds, currently sitting 13th in the table, have failed to score in their last two league matches but ended their goal drought in Europe with a 2-2 draw against Lyon on Thursday night.
Momentum had started to build for Rúben Amorim’s side prior to the March international break, but that progress has since stalled following a defeat to Nottingham Forest and consecutive draws with Manchester City and Lyon.
Their next test comes against a Newcastle side chasing Champions League football, with Eddie Howe’s men currently 5th and determined to cement their place in the top five.
Bayındır and Amass set for starts
With reports stating earlier this week that Amorim was looking to make a number of changes to his starting XI when United lined-up against Newcastle, two of these adjustments have now been revealed in the media.
Following criticism after the Lyon draw, André Onana has been left out of Amorim’s squad that travelled to Tyneside as the head coach wanted to keep Onana out of the footballing limelight after his mistakes in midweek.
This means that Altay Bayındır, Onana’s understudy, is set for his first Premier League start and eighth appearance for United after joining in September 2023.
Meanwhile, MailSport have revealed that 180-year-old Harry Amass is in line for his first-ever start for the club’s senior team, with Patrick Dorgu presumably rested ahead of the second EUropa League leg against Lyon next Thursday.
Three other possible changes vs Newcastle
With Amass and Bayındır set for their first Premier League starts, there are also three other possible changes that Amorim could choose to make on Sunday afternoon.
Rasmus Højlund has been criticised for his performances against Lyon and Manchester City in the last week or so, and looks set to be replaced in the XI by Joshua Zirkzee, who scored off the bench in midweek.
Harry Maguire has started United’s last two games but has not completed either amid his return from injury, and may be rested with Victor Lindelöf playing the middle centre-back role and Noussair Mazraoui and Leny Yoro either side of the Swedish international.
Finally, with Casemiro having started United’s last three games and resurging as an integral member of Amorim’s midfield, the head coach could choose to rest the Brazilian and play Ugarte in the middle of the park alongside Fernandes.
This would allow Mason Mount to make his first start for United in over three months if Bruno Fernandes then drops into midfield after he was named on the bench across the club’s last four fixtures.
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.