“I will…” Rúben Amorim hints at Chido Obi start vs Real Sociedad with brutal Rasmus Højlund admission

Rúben Amorim has hinted that he may look to start Chido Obi against Real Sociedad after a brutal admission amid Rasmus Højlund’s performance against Fulham.

Manchester United exited the FA Cup after a penalty-shootout defeat to Fulham following a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

Calvin Bassey put Fulham ahead just before half-time after poor United defending from a corner. Rúben Amorim responded with changes, introducing Alejandro Garnacho and Victor Lindelöf, but Fulham remained in control.

Chido Obi and Casemiro then came on, and Bruno Fernandes quickly equalised with a sharp finish. United pushed for a winner in extra time, but the tie went to penalties.

Both sides scored their first three before Bernd Leno saved from Lindelöf and Joshua Zirkzee, sealing United’s exit.

Amorim hints at Obi start vs Sociedad

Against Fulham, striker Rasmus Højlund once again failed to convert his chances as he made his 18th appearance in a row without scoring a goal.

After he was replaced in the 69th minutes, young striker Chido Obi came off the bench and played very well, having a few shots on target and growing well into the game.

Recently, Amorim has explained that he is hesitant to start young players, but when asked if Obi could replace Højlund up front against Real Sociedad, the head coach admitted that it’s not a decision he can rule out.

“Anything can happen in the next games,” Amorim said. “We need to see the opposition, feel the moment of the player physically. I will focus on just the next game. I will choose the best players to win the next match.”

A damning admission about Højlund’s form

Amorim has been keen to protect Højlund in the media despite his very poor form, saying many times he feels the Danish international is being let down by a lack of creativity from those behind him.

Read More: “How can he…” Wayne Rooney baffled at “naive” comment from Rúben Amorim after Manchester United loss

However, Obi’s performance against Fulham saw the young star striker have three big chances, which is as many as his 22-year-old compatriot has had across his 22 appearances in the league this season.

Amorim’s admission that he will consider playing Obi over Højlund is a damning statement about how low the United No. 9’s stock has fallen of late.

Despite scoring five goals in his opening few appearances under Amorim, Højlund has failed to justify his continued stretch of games in the team, and with Zirkzee linking well with Obi against Fulham, it may be time to throw the youngster into the mixer.

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