Rúben Amorim will be sweating on the fitness of Matheus Cunha after the Manchester United star missed their recent clash against Everton.
Manchester United are wrapping up their November fixtures with a tricky Sunday lunchtime visit to Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
Rúben Amorim’s Reds had been unbeaten in five, but a flat 1-0 home defeat to Everton on Monday — despite David Moyes’ side being reduced to ten men after just 15 minutes — brought that run to an end.
It was a weekend in which United could have climbed to fourth, yet the loss leaves them 10th, sitting level on points with Tottenham, Everton and Liverpool.
Still, they trail fourth-placed Aston Villa by only three points, and the congested table means every side from fifth to 12th can realistically eye up a push for the Champions League places.
Cunha update given after serious blow
The tie against Everton saw United miss a certain level of creative spark on the left-hand side after Matheus Cunha suffered a blow to the head in training two days prior.
Although his absence was initially labelled as a simple precaution, football journalist Ben Jacobs has since clarified that the blow was more ‘serious’ than initially painted.
According to the report, there is no guarantee that the Brazilian international will be fit to face Crystal Palace, even if all the protocols that usually come with a head injury are followed.
Rúben Amorim is expected to provide an update on Cunha’s availability for Friday’s match against Palace during his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon.
Cunha’s spark is essential to United
On the surface, it looks as if Cunha’s £62.5 million move to United back in June has not gone entirely to plan, with the player so far scoring just once in his opening 11 appearances.
However, what he has brought to United with his unique set of skills stretches far beyond goal contributions – he provides confidence that, at any moment, he can make something happen.
Being the type of player who leaves defenders on edge whenever he’s on the pitch, his ability to play off the cuff often forces opponents to focus heavily on him, allowing others, such as Bryan Mbeumo, Bruno Fernandes, and Amad, to play with more freedom.
He’s a player who inspires hope, ingenuity, and a deadly grasp of elite skill that was missing against Everton. Amorim will be praying that the 26-year-old will be declared fit to face Palace.
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