With three first-team players having left for the AFCON, and five starters remaining injured, Manchester United finds itself in a crisis that may determine its charge for European football.
Manchester United faced Aston Villa at Villa Park on Sunday, the Premier League’s only Sunday fixture, and it proved testing for the Reds as they were bested 2-1 by Unai Emery’s in-form side.
Ruben Amorim entered the game without the availability of Harry Maguire, Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and the suspended Casemiro, four notable first-team players.
This meant Manuel Ugarte was named in the starting eleven, paired with Bruno Fernandes, making his third start of the season with a point to prove both to the fans and Amorim himself.
Heading into the Christmas break, United sit seventh and remain in contention for a return to the top six, and most admirably, a ticket for next season’s Champions League.
The Reds host fellow European contenders Newcastle at Old Trafford on Boxing Day, but with the exclusion of five first-team players, could this hamper United’s European charge?
Cunha to fill Bruno’s boots
Despite a disappointing defeat, Amorim must take some positives from Sunday’s game, with Matheus Cunha’s tenaciousness and versatility being a key takeaway.
Cunha led the team in expected goals (xG), total shots, and big chances created. The Brazilian was United’s pivotal attacking outlet.
Though the 26-year-old showed his quality in attack, he also proved vital to the defensive set-up of the side, making seven recoveries and two tackles in the 90 minutes he played.
Cunha complemented Mason Mount’s pressing duties, sitting tightly in when Mount would put Villa’s defenders under pressure. The Brazilian also linked up well with Benjamin Sesko, who tends to hold up the ball well.
But most importantly, Cunha scored United’s only goal of the game, a calm slotted finish into the side netting of Emi Martinez’s goal from a tight angle, his third for the Reds.
Cunha will become pivotal in the next few games, with Amad, Bryan Mbeumo, and Fernandes unavailable; he will have to step up and lead the Reds’ attacking threat.
Young Reds to step up
Amorim put his faith in the youth set-up of United against Aston Villa, naming four academy players in the squad that travelled to Birmingham.
The Portuguese manager may have put pressure on himself due to comments made about academy players Harry Amass and Chido Obi, in which he said in a press conference, “Amass is struggling in the Championship” and “Chido is not always a starter in the under-21s”.
Amass and Chido responded on social media before quickly deleting their posts. Still, this sparked controversy within the ranks of the club.
Read More: Harry Amass drops cryptic message after Rúben Amorim’s “struggling in the Championship” claim
That said, two academy players, Jack Fletcher and Shea Lacey, made their debut on Sunday. Fletcher, the son of Premier League winner Darren Fletcher, replaced Sesko in the 73rd minute, and Lacey replaced Leny Yoro for the final five as United chased an equaliser.
Fans will anticipate a greater influence from the academy in the future, as United chase a place in the top five and a return to European football next season.
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