“We need him…” Rúben Amorim delivers triple Manchester United starting XI hint vs Liverpool

Rúben Amorim has delivered a hint on his starting XI as he prepares Manchester United to face Liverpool on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League.

Manchester United will begin their 2025 journey with a trip to Anfield on Sunday afternoon, where they face Premier League leaders Liverpool in what is shaping up to be their toughest test of the season.

While Arne Slot’s Liverpool continue to dominate at the top of the table, United are floundering in 14th place, just seven points above the relegation zone. Manager Rúben Amorim has described this as one of the darkest chapters in the club’s recent history.

United’s struggles are reflected in their form, with five defeats in their last six league matches. They have suffered home losses to Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, and Newcastle United, along with away defeats at Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Though a victory at Anfield seems improbable, it could offer United a glimmer of hope and a chance to reset as they aim to move past the disappointments of 2024 and start 2025 on a stronger footing.

Amorim delivers hint on his line-up vs Liverpool

Speaking with club media ahead of the trip to Anfield, Amorim was asked how he feels about Harry Maguire.

The England defender is set to have his contract extended by the club for a further season to stop him leaving Old Trafford for free in June amid good performances from the centre-back.

Amorim explained that he feels Maguire is a man the club need on the pitch right now, hinting that he may be planning to start the 31-year-old on Sunday afternoon.

“I think we need Harry in this moment,” Amorim stated. “He struggled a lot in the last years, but today he’s fit, he’s playing, I think he needs to improve his game, and we need leaders.

“And when you pass what Harry passed in the last years, you improve as a leader, as a man, and we need that, so we are really happy [with the contract extension].”

Amorim happy with two other return boosts

During the club’s loss against Newcastle, Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte had to watch from the sidelines after they were both handed one-match bans due to a red card and yellow card accumulation against Wolves, respectively.

When asked about the duo’s return, Amorim admitted that he is really happy that both players are back, further insinuating that their quality and pace may see them both reinstated into the XI.

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“Yes, that is really good,” Amorim said when asked for his opinion in 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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