Rúben Amorim may have to look towards one of the Academy prospects, who’s yet to play, due to Manchester United’s fixture list.
In December, Manchester United will begin to have midweek matches in the Premier League, which will start to leave players with a lack of recovery time.
United’s winter fixture list involves facing Crystal Palace at the end of November, which will lead them to six games throughout December, including Bournemouth at Old Trafford before facing Leeds United away in early January.
As well as this tight fixture list, AFCON is taking place in late December, leaving United without first-team stars Bryan Mbeumo and Amad, while Noussair Mazraoui is also likely to be called up for Morocco.
Ruben Amorim’s summer recruitment may have to be relied upon to rotate with starting players and fill in for the absent AFCON stars. Alternatively, the manager could also turn to United’s academy in place of United’s AFCON players.
Amorim set to look towards giving Leon long-awaited debut
Amorim signed 18-year-old left-back Diego Leon from Cerro Porteno in Paraguay during the summer transfer window for a reported £3.3 million.
Leon is the only summer signing yet to play for the first team, as he is often found in rotation with Travis Binnion’s under-21s squad.
However, the future looks bright for the teenager with increasing game time and a professional debut for the Paraguay national team on the 14th October against South Korea
He played 63 minutes against Barnsley in the EFL Trophy for the under-21s yesterday, showing improved fitness compared to earlier in the season when he featured against the PFA XI.
BBC reporter Simon Stone reports on an “impressive” performance, including excellent recovery skills and positional play. The left-back also showed some attacking prowess in the first half, having a shot blocked from the edge of the Barnsley area.
Strong recovery skills and attacking ability are key skills to Amorim’s wing-back set-up, suggesting that Amorim selected the teenager to grow into a first-team player.
Amorim may rotate to give players game time against weaker opponents
Although the fixture list is tight, United can be considered lucky to be facing opposition who are struggling in the league, including Wolves and West Ham, who find themselves lingering around the relegation zone.
This should prove to be the perfect opportunity for Amorim to rotate the squad and provide a confidence boost to players and fans with a much-needed win streak after good performances against Sunderland and Liverpool.
The under-21s face Rochdale and Notts County in the next two weeks, providing Leon with the opportunity to impress against professional teams and find a way into the December squad.
Amorim has often used Diogo Dalot or Patrick Dorgu at left-wing back, but with Amad’s AFCON absence, he may rotate these two to the right, allowing for Leon to make his first team debut.
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