The selection of Manchester United’s starlets has been put up for debate, with Quinton Fortune including the star, but Wes Brown has opted against it in a predictions piece.
After an 11-day gap, Manchester United are returning to action in the Premier League as they face Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils will be hoping to return to winning ways after suffering their first loss under Michael Carrick against Newcastle.
Both United and Villa sit on 51 points and in the top four, placing extra emphasis on this match for the race for Champions League football next season. The winner of this fixture will open up a three-point cushion, which will be vital as the season goes on.
Carrick has been unwilling to make changes, but perhaps after the displays of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo against Newcastle, there could be the potential for a return for Amad.
Brown and Fortune make Amad predictions
After starting life under Carrick as a key starter, Amad has now featured twice from the bench, with the Ivorian making way for the in-form Benjamin Sesko to start.
Against both Crystal Palace at times and, certainly, against Newcastle, his off-the-ball pressing and the directness he offers down the right have been missed. While both Cunha and Mbeumo have exceptional qualities, their form has slumped of late, which could mean the return of Amad to freshen up the team.
Former United and South Africa player, Quinton Fortune, has predicted on the Manchester United website that ‘fearless‘ Amad will return to the eleven in place of Sesko, as well as Diogo Dalot replacing Noussair Mazaroui, suggesting Carrick may return to the original system that kicked off the unbeaten run before Newcastle.
However, former United defender Wes Brown has predicted Carrick to field an unchanged eleven and back the team to return to winning ways through a second chance, with Amad remaining on the bench.
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Amad’s work-rate missed
In recent games, it is noticeable that the work rate and ability to apply an intense press in that position have dropped off. This is in part due to the lack of games United play, with the players not as sharp as other sides still in cup competitions.
However, among other skillsets like his silky dribbling and creativity, his work rate is something that could inject more life into the side from the get-go. This could help the slow starts the team have been having.
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Amad is capable of playing on either flank, so he could replace Cunha on the left or he could replace Mbeumo on the right.
Either way, despite not being in good form, having these three as game-changing options either to start or come off the bench is a testament to the good recruitment United conducted in the summer.
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