One Manchester United star’s poor performance on international duty has given Rúben Amorim a tough decision ahead of the Manchester derby on Sunday, 14 September.
Manchester United face a big test on Sunday afternoon, as they make the short trip to the Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City in the first derby of the season.
Rúben Amorim’s side faced Arsenal on the opening weekend of the Premier League, but City should prove a greater test as Mikel Arteta’s team were poor, and without Altay Bayindir’s error, United could have won the game.
While the performances since then have left a lot to be desired – especially in the Carabao Cup against Grimsby Town – United will be firing ahead of Sunday, but Amorim has some selection headaches to contend with.
Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount could both miss the Manchester derby, a big miss for United, as both have started all three Premier League games this season. Diogo Dalot could also be absent through injury.
Ugarte fails to impress on international duty
Manuel Ugarte has been out of the United side since the Europa League final last season, despite his previous relationship with Amorim at Sporting CP.
His only start this season came against Grimsby Town, and his performance was shameful, especially given that he impressed in the United States on pre-season.
Ugarte’s poor form appears to have continued for Uruguay, as El Observador said after the game against Chile: “He took over as central midfielder and displayed generous mobility to organise the break, constantly breaking free, and trying to connect forward.
“He took a massive dive in the 38th minute. He was upset after the foul, which resulted in a significant cut, and he committed an unnecessary foul.”
They continued to say: “He was inconsistent when passing the ball and only managed one solid break forward. He struggled more than he could have played in the second half.”
Amorim’s selection headache
While Cunha has hinted he could return in time for the Manchester derby, Amorim will have to prepare for the eventuality where the Brazilian isn’t fit enough and someone else has to play.
Benjamin Šeško could be the man to take his place, but if Mount is also unavailable, then Amorim may have to consider moving Bruno Fernandes into the front three.
Ugarte could have been the man to replace Fernandes in the double pivot, but his poor performance on international duty won’t have given Amorim confidence in the former PSG midfielder.
The other options would be to play Kobbie Mainoo next to Casemiro, or move Amad into the frontline and leave Fernandes in midfield. If Amorim chooses the latter, Noussair Mazraoui could be set for his first start of the season due to Dalot’s injury.
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