Rúben Amorim informed Manchester United duo “can’t play together” anymore after shocking display

Rúben Amorim has been told he can no longer play a Manchester United duo together following the club’s shocking loss against Newcastle United.

Rúben Amorim’s first six weeks as Manchester United’s head coach have been anything but smooth.

A string of poor performances has left the team languishing in 14th place in the Premier League, and they now face the daunting task of playing league leaders Liverpool away on Sunday—a fixture many fear could result in a humbling defeat.

This season’s hopes for silverware seem pinned on the Europa League or an unlikely triumph over title-chasing Arsenal in the FA Cup next weekend as they look to defend the trophy won under Erik ten Hag in 2024.

With limited opportunities for focused training sessions, Amorim has had to assess his players’ strengths and weaknesses primarily during competitive matches, making his challenge even more difficult.

United duo cannot play together anymore

One thing that has seemingly become apparent is that the club are in dire need of new midfielders, with multiple players set to depart in 2025.

Two of those who are destined to leave are Casemiro and Christian Eriksen. Casemiro has been closely linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, while Eriksen’s contract will expire at the end of June.

Speaking to Sportskeeda, former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson has now explained that Amorim cannot continue to play the pair together, especially considering their shocking performance against Newcastle.

“Christian Eriksen and Casemiro have had unbelievable careers, but they can’t play together in the Premier League anymore,” Merson said.

“This isn’t the Portuguese league, Ruben Amorim has to pick the team accordingly. The team he set up against Newcastle, I actually thought they did well to lose only 2-0!

“When I saw that line-up, I was like ‘wow, this could end up being a big loss for United’.”

United will not have the same problem against Liverpool

Fortunately for Amorim, he will not be forced to play the pair as United travel to face Premier League table-toppers Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.

Eriksen and Casemiro started against Newcastle as Amorim was unable to deploy either of Bruno Fernandes or Manuel Ugarte, both of whom were suspended for the fixture.

However, after the duo served their one-game bans, they are both now available for selection, which has delighted Amorim.

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“Yes, that is really good,” Amorim said when asked for his opinion on their returns. “They have a lot of quality, a lot of pace. I think we felt that in the last game, so we are really happy to have them.”

United are set to be without Jonny Evans, Victor Lindelöf, Luke Shaw, and Mason Mount for the tie, while Marcus Rashford is also unlikely to travel due to illness.

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