Ruben Amorim is planning to try and get a hidden advantage in Manchester United’s upcoming clash against Bournemouth.
Manchester United will look to secure an important three points when they host Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Monday night.
Ruben Amorim’s side come into the match after one of their most convincing results under his leadership, a 4–1 victory over Wolves in which Bruno Fernandes scored twice, with Bryan Mbeumo and Mason Mount also on the scoresheet.
United have been difficult to beat in recent weeks, suffering just one defeat in their last nine league matches, yet only two wins from their previous six suggest questions remain over their overall performance level.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, travel to Manchester following a challenging spell, recording four defeats and two draws in their last six Premier League games. Despite that run, they have enjoyed notable recent success at Old Trafford, winning 3–0 there in each of the past two seasons.
How United are planning to get hidden advantage vs Bournemouth
It is still unknown whether Mbeumo, Noussair Mazraoui and Amad will be available for this clash. They are set to leave for AFCON but could be allowed to play one more fixture.
Amorim explained in his pre-match press conference that United still do not know whether the players will be allowed to stay for the Bournemouth clash.
But various reports, including from the Manchester Evening News, have stated that United will not make the final decision public.
This is clearly an attempt to get a hidden advantage on their opponent, who will not know exactly how to prepare for the clash against United without knowing if three important players are going to play or not.
Amorim looking for small percentages
Amorim has started to play these mind games ahead of games. He does not want it to be obvious who he is going to pick for certain games.
In fact, a couple of weeks ago ahead of the draw with West Ham, the United boss refused to reveal who the two doubtful players for the game were. Matthijs de Ligt ended up being one of those names.
The Premier League is all about small percentages and Amorim clearly feels like these moves will make United more likely to win games.
But fans will be hoping to see Amad and Mbeumo starting the game on Monday night, as both have been key to United in recent months.
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.