On Thursday, Ruben Amorim enters the mildly important round of 8 in the Europa League. Important for the supporters, down on their knees in the Premier League, important for the players’ self-confidence, important for United’s finances and perhaps crucial for Amorim’s future at Old Trafford. If the Premier League finishes well south of the top 10, as it looks like with 11 games left in the season, it is success in the Europa League that saves the Portuguese.
Amorim himself has realized it could carry towards the end of the United “adventure”, after the Fulham game the Portuguese made a “United winner Premier League one day, but don’t know if I’ll be there then” statement. We therefore felt sorry for Amorim, when the status report before Thursday’s game is that the plane to the Basque Country had several seats available.
United can bring 23 players to the match against Real Sociedad, now the club they have with them announces 18.
What’s worse is that two of the seven players on the bench are goalkeepers.
15 outfield players. Not exactly the room for manoeuvre Amorim needs for this “game of fate” (for Amorim all games of fate are for the rest of the season).
Here’s the injury list: Harry Maguire, Manuel Ugarte, Amad Diallo, Lisandro Martinez, Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw plus Mason Mount.
Here are the players Amorim will get against Real Sociedad:
André Onana, Dermot me (goalkeeper), Elyh Harrison (goalkeeper), Harry Amass, Diogo Dalot, Matthijs de Ligt, Patrick Dorgu, Ayden Heaven, Victor Nilsson Lindelöf, Noussair Mazraoui, Leny Yoro; Casemiro, Toby Collyer, Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes; Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee.
