Rúben Amorim has issued an update on Matheus Cunha after the Manchester United forward missed their recent loss against Everton.
Manchester United are ending their November schedule with a difficult Premier League trip to Crystal Palace in a Sunday lunchtime kick-off.
Rúben Amorim’s Reds had put together a five-match unbeaten run, but it came to an end with a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Everton on Monday evening, even though David Moyes’ team went down to ten men after just 15 minutes.
United had the chance to move up to fourth over the weekend, but the loss at Old Trafford leaves them 10th, level on points with Tottenham, Everton and Liverpool.
They are still only three points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa, and the tight nature of the table means every side from fifth to 12th can still feel that a Champions League push is possible.
Amorim issues latest on Cunha availability
Star forward Matheus Cunha missed out on the Everton loss earlier this week after suffering a ‘serious’ head knock in training last weekend, with concussion protocol forcing him out of the fixture.
Speaking to journalists on Friday afternoon, Amorim issued the latest on Cunha’s availability, stating that he will not be available for the game.
He also clarified that Harry Maguire would not be ready, while Benjamin Šeško’s injury may take a little more time than becoming available against Palace.
“Sesko is going to take a little bit more time,” Amorim said. “It will take a little bit longer, and we are taking care of him. Harry, the same. I expect to have Matheus in the next one, not this one.”
When asked whether he meant Šeško’s injury would keep the striker out longer than expected, Amorim clarified that he meant just longer than the other two injured players.
Martínez could return to action on Sunday
Lisandro Martínez has not featured for United in the last nine months due to an ACL injury sustained against Crystal Palace in February.
Read More: European giant ‘set aside’ £43.7m for Marcus Rashford transfer as major Barcelona doubts emerge
But, having been in training for the last month, the 27-year-old is expected to be in the squad to face Crystal Palace, much like he was against Everton.
But, while he was an unused substitute at Old Trafford, there is a chance Martínez could make his return to action in South London on Sunday.
With Noussair Mazraoui heading to the Africa Cup of Nations next month, Martínez’s possible return to action this weekend comes at the perfect time for Amorim.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 14:00 pm (GMT) on the United View YouTube channel.