Rúben Amorim can build an entire injured Manchester United XI – It may be better than the team that faced Tottenham

Rúben Amorim could build an entire starting XI of players who missed out against Tottenham, and it may be better than the team he fielded on Sunday afternoon.

Manchester United endured another frustrating afternoon as James Maddison’s first-half strike handed Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 victory in the Premier League on Sunday.

Spurs controlled possession early, but United carved out the first real openings, with Rasmus Højlund, Alejandro Garnacho, and Diogo Dalot all going close within the opening ten minutes. However, Tottenham struck soon after, with Maddison reacting quickest to a rebound to give the hosts the lead.

United pushed for an equaliser but lacked a clinical touch, heading into the break a goal down. They increased the tempo in the second half, but their finishing continued to let them down as they struggled to break through Spurs’ defence.

As the match entered the final stages, Tottenham regained their foothold, yet United kept pressing. Garnacho and Joshua Zirkzee had late chances, but key errors and wayward finishing ensured Rúben Amorim’s men left North London empty-handed once again.

Amorim can build an injured XI

Against Tottenham, United saw six players ruled out within 48 hours of the clash, with Amad, Kobbie Mainoo, and Leny Yoro among those who missed the fixture and could face varying lengths of time on the sidelines.

There were 12 players who were unavailable for selection, meaning Amorim could create a whole team in his 3-4-3 from those not playing. In goal, both Altay Bayındır and Tom Heaton are injured, although it would be the former who could start in this team.

As for the back three, Yoro, Jonny Evans, and Lisandro Martínez missed the game, and these three could make up a solid back line, with Yoro on the right and Martínez on the left, with Evans in the centre.

As for the wing-backs, Amad has shown that he can put in amazing shifts on the right, while Luke Shaw’s abilities on the left flank have never been in question, although his fitness record has left fans frutrated.

As for the middle of the park, both Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer were ruled out of the weekend fixture, and this duo could make a very good pairing in midfield for Amorim should he want good ground coverage, with Collyer confident on the ball and Ugarte well known for his defensive abilities.

In this injured XI, the front three is the weakest aspect, although it’s bursting with creativity. Christian Eriksen was not involved against Tottenham due to illness but would do a good job as a right-sided attacking midfielder, while Mainoo has been touted as a potential future option on the left.

As for the striker, there is no clear option, although the intensity and footballing IQ of a player like Mason Mount would give Amorim a fantastic wildcard outlet as a forward option. The English midfielder has been sorely missed for United in recent months.

Full injured XI: Bayındır, Yoro, Evans, Martínez, Amad, Ugarte, Collyer, Shaw, Eriksen, Mount, Mainoo.

Is this a better team than the side that played Tottenham?

Although it’s debatable, there is certainly an argument to be had that the injured XI is a more stable team compared to the line-up that faced Tottenham.

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United’s attacking line of Højlund, Zirkzee, and Garnacho is a more potent threat, but with all three failing to convert, the injured trio would likely not to any worse if they were handed a start.

As for the midfield, a lot of criticism has been made of the performances of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes on the weekend, and a duo of Collyer and Ugarte may have given United more of an anchor in the middle of the park.

A fit Shaw and high-energy Amad may have served as better attacking outlets than Dalot and Patrick Dorgu in the wing-back positions, while an argument can be made that the back three of Yoro, Evans, and Martínez is more balanced than those who played against Tottenham, although 36-year-old Evans in the middle is a glaring weakness against a high-energy Ange Postecoglou team.

As for the goalkeepers, some have criticised André Onana for Maddison’s goal as he parried the ball straight into his path for the winning effort. However Bayındır himself had a very poor performance at the same Stadium in December, making it a toss up between who would have been better suited to start.

Ultimately, had Amorim had all his players available, it’s likely that many of those injured would have made the starting XI, giving credance to the argument that the injured team may have performed better than those who started.

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