“Some doubts…” – Ruben Amorim hints that ‘impeccable’ Manchester United star will be rotated vs Southampton

Manchester United return to Premier League action this week to face Southampton following their success in the FA Cup against Arsenal.

Ruben Amorim’s side have managed to find some form in their last two games against Liverpool and Arsenal, providing solid performances in both games.

Many supporters were not looking forward to those clashes after four consecutive defeats but United earned a draw at Anfield and won on penalties against the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium.

The results were positive but it was the performance and desire from the players which really stood out, and what must remain for all games this season.

Southampton might provide the perfect test for Amorim’s side, who have just shown they can prepare themselves to play against big rivals in games where they are not expected to win.

The Saints are sitting at the bottom of the Premier League table and United are now expected to dominate the game and win. They will need to prove the same intensity levels in a much different game.

Amorim hints at Maguire rotation vs Southampton

However, Amorim is cautious of the physical impact these recent games have had on some of his players, who are not used to playing with such high intensity, especially for 120 minutes just a few days before this game.

That likely means there will be some rotation for United on Thursday as Amorim wants to keep everyone fit and avoid any more injuries.

“We just have some doubts in some players that were really tired in the last game,” Amorim told club media. “We can not afford to lose players for many games.”

One player who left everything on the pitch at the Emirates was Harry Maguire, who was ill before the game but ended up playing 104 minutes of the clash.

The English defender has been in solid form, and received praise from former United defender John O’Shea, who claims that he has been “impeccable” in the middle of the back three.

But it could be likely that he is rotated against Southampton, after starting six of the last seven games, to ensure his fitness remains high.

Asked about the team news in his press conference, Amorim said: “Harry [Maguire], we will see, we cannot lose him, so we will see…”

Two ways Amorim can adjust vs Southampton

There are two ways that Amorim can adjust the team for this game. The first being introducing Leny Yoro to the lineup and moving Matthijs de Ligt back to the centre.

Yoro has been excellent in his recent appearances from the bench against the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City.

Although, Amorim could also decide to move Noussair Mazraoui back into the defensive line and use a more attacking-minded player at right-wingback such as Antony or Amad.

United have seemed to be better going forward when at least one of those two wingbacks is a more natural attacking player than a fullback.

However, with Diogo Dalot out of action after his red card against Arsenal, there are limited defensive-minded options for those positions, which could also mean that Mazraoui may switch to the left side.

Team news will be available at 18:45 on Thursday evening, with full coverage coming on UtdDistrict’s X account.

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