Ruben Amorim receives green light for Man United XI change Erik ten Hag wanted to do

Ruben Amorim will have some tinkering to do to his Manchester United lineup to face Newcastle United on Monday evening.

Manchester United will be without Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte in their final game of 2025 as they face an in-form Newcastle side.

Both midfield players received one-match bans during the defeat to Wolves last time out. Fernandes suffered his third red card of the season while Ugarte was booked for the fifth time this season.

That leaves Ruben Amorim with some selection headaches for the Old Trafford outing, with a win desperately needed after three consecutive defeats.

Amorim could test Zirkzee and Hojlund partnership

Fernandes had started all 10 opening games for Amorim, the only player to do so, and has been absent for only a handful of games since his arrival in January 2020.

United don’t really know how to play without the Portuguese captain and they will have to learn to do so.

He has been operating as the left-sided no.10 or in the double pivot, and an opportunity has now been opened for other players to try and impress in those roles.

One potential change that Amorim could make is by bringing Joshua Zirkzee into the team as that left-sided no.10.

The Dutch striker has had a difficult start to life at United since joining from Bologna in the summer transfer window. Although he has impressed in a few games under the new boss.

His standout performance came in the 4-0 win against Everton where he scored twice and had a solid overall game. The dynamics in that clash suited him, with players like Amad Diallo offering to link-up while Marcus Rashford stretched the defensive line for him.

“He’s not the typical 9, so you have to use his characteristics to create danger and win the game,” Amorim said of Zirkzee before that game.

Perhaps similar dynamics could be made if he was to start behind Rasmus Højlund in this game. The pair have not started a single game together under Amorim so far.

Ten Hag believed Zirkzee and Højlund can start together

The prospect of Zirkzee and Højlund starting together has been mentioned since the former signed for the club in the summer.

Former boss Erik ten Hag believed it could be a useful option for the team. “Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund can play together,” he said. “They compliment each other.”

However, in the 14 games he managed this campaign before getting the sack, Ten Hag never ended up placing the two in the same lineup, partly because Højlund started the season injured.

Of course, it would leave the team without a senior striker on the bench, which may come into Amorim’s mind considering how focused he is on preventing injuries.

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However, there may not be many better chances to test out the dynamic between the two, with Bruno Fernandes likely to come straight back into the team when he returns from suspension.

Ten Hag wanted to try it out and believed the two complimented each other, but Amorim may be the man to find out whether it can actually work.

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