Ruben Amorim may be facing a dilemma over two Manchester United players after their recent international break experiences.
Manchester United return to Premier League action next week after almost two weeks away from the pitch. They won 3-0 against Leicester City last time out.
Usually the international break period comes at the wrong time for United but this time around it has allowed some players to get important rest and others to get closer to returning from injury.
There was only a handful of players who jetted off with their countries for fixtures, and two of those were Noussair Mazraoui and Bruno Fernandes.
Fernandes and Mazraoui produce standout international performances
Fernandes starred for Portugal in their Nations League victory over Denmark, with Roberto Martínez’s side winning 5-2 over two legs to move into the next round.
Meanwhile, Mazraoui was a standout performer for Morocco in World Cup qualifier wins over Niger and Tanzania. He assisted a last-minute winning goal against Niger.
The two players both had “sublime” international breaks. They both played every minute of both games; Fernandes played 120 minutes in the second-leg against Denmark as the game went to extra-time.
Since Amorim took charge at Old Trafford, Mazraoui has started 25 out of 28 games. Fernandes, the club captain, has only been out of the lineup once – when he was suspended for the Newcastle defeat.
Both players have been crucial for the head coach but Amorim also admitted that the Moroccon defender was “dead” after playing consistently throughout Ramadan.
While he has played down Fernandes’ consistent minutes, due to the history of the Portuguese engine, there also must be some concerns about his situation considering he just played an extra 210 minutes within a four-day period.
Amorim has Fernandes and Mazraoui dilemma
United return to Premier League action soon and then comes a crucial Europa League tie against Lyon in a couple of weeks.
It is clear that progression in Europe is a huge priority for Amorim’s squad, but the Portuguese boss also also mentioned the importance of ending the league campaign strongly despite rising up the table towards European spots being highly unlikely.
That leaves Amorim with a dilemma for players like Fernandes and Mazraoui. Ideally, both players can receive some well-needed rest in the Premier League to be fully prepared for the Lyon clash.
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However, with difficult opponents in Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Newcastle coming up, Amorim will be debating whether he can afford to take them out of the team as he will also be considering the potential momentum his side can build if they grab some positive results in the coming weeks.
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