Daniel Farke will be without one of his most influential players as Rúben Amorim prepares Manchester United for Sunday’s match against Leeds United.
Manchester United will be eager to draw a line under 2025 as Rúben Amorim prepares for his first match of the new year, with a challenging trip to Elland Road to face Leeds United on Sunday afternoon.
United endured a difficult year, faltering at crucial moments as they fell to Tottenham in the Europa League final and finished 15th in the 2024/25 Premier League.
There is renewed positivity this season. Amorim’s side sit sixth at the midway point, level on points with Chelsea in fifth, while Leeds come into the fixture on the back of a strong run of form.
After a slow start that saw them dragged into the relegation battle, Daniel Farke’s side have turned things around and are now unbeaten in six matches.
That sequence includes two draws with Liverpool and another against Sunderland, as well as impressive home victories over Chelsea and Crystal Palace, giving Leeds real momentum heading into The Roses Derby.
Ampadu out of Leeds vs United
The midweek fixtures this weekend saw both United and Leeds hit the halfway stage of the campaign, which is also when the Premier League changes their rules for yellow card accumulation.
Up until the end of the 19th fixture of the season, five yellow cards across the 19 games would see you serve a one-game ban, while ten cards before the 32nd fixture of the season would result in two games.
While Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu escaped a possible ban, having avoided a fifth yellow card when United faced Wolves, the same cannot be said for Leeds captain Ethan Ampadu, who was handed his fifth of the campaign against Liverpool on Thursday, banning him from the tie against United.
This will have a major impact on Farke. It was noted immediately after the Liverpool vs Leeds draw by fans that Ampadu’s long throws and general play are a huge part of the German’s tactics, so losing the Wales international is a major blow.
United hoping for positive injury updates vs Leeds
Against Wolves, United were missing Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire, and Mason Mount due to injury. At the same time, Amad, Bryan Mbeumo, and Noussair Mazraoui remain at the Africa Cup of Nations.
However, the club will be hoping for positive updates regarding several stars in the coming days as Amorim prepares for the Leeds tie.
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Maguire was recently spotted back in training with the side in the gym, while Mainoo’s injury that ruled him out two weeks ago was not deemed serious, so he could be back in action soon.
As for Mount, Amorim stated that his problem is minor and they are exercising caution with his omission against Wolves, while De Ligt’s back injury does not have a return date.
Amad, Mbeumo, and Mazraoui all qualified for the knockout stages of AFCON, so their return dates are yet to be determined.
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