Ruben Amorim will be without the services of his star forward Matheus Cunha in the highly anticipated Manchester Derby against Man City this Sunday at Etihad.
Man United‘s number 10 picked up a potential hamstring injury during the first half against Burnley in his side’s previous Premier League outing.
Man United did manage to win the game by a scoreline of 3-2 with the help of a late Bruno Fernandes penalty. But the fact that Matheus Cunha had to be taken off the field in the first half itself after his injury scare seemed to be playing the mood spoiler ever since.
However, recent reports signal that Cunha’s injury may be a light hamstring blow and nothing majorly serious. Now the main question lies in how the Red Devils’ Gaffer Ruben Amorim will cope without his star talisman against Man City.
Cunha is the one who possesses the quality to break through the defenses and conjure attacking moments out of nowhere. His absence could really test Amorim’s side’s creativity against Pep Guardiola‘s Man City.
Cunha’s absence signals a shortage of creativity for Ruben Amorim-led Manchester United
Despite Matheus Cunha not being able to make a significant difference in terms of goals scored so far in his stint with Man United, his creativity and the vision to connect with players around him make Ruben Amorim and the Red Devils’ game plan effective.
Especially while facing a team like Man City away from home, someone like Cunha could really prove significant in those counter-attacking situations.
While it looks like the Red Devils’ manager might hand the summer recruit Benjamin Sesko an opportunity in the starting eleven against City, the overall game plan of Amorim might be up for a stiff test.
With the absence of his star Brazilian number 10, Bruno Fernandes might play a bit higher up the pitch in order to connect the dots with those telling passes in the crunch moments.
Other injury concerns for Man United leading into the Manchester Derby
With Mason Mount also doubtful for the Manchester Derby this Sunday (reportedly suffering from a potential knock), Kobbie Mainoo might feature in the starting eleven. However, the question lies in how United will cope with a wounded Man City in their own backyard.
Also, the Red Devils suffer other injury concerns in the form of Diogo Dalot and Lisandro Martinez. Dalot will potentially miss out with a strain injury. Martinez suffers a cruciate ligament injury, tipped to be out of the action until mid-October.
Having said that, Pep Guardiola has his own injury worries with players like Omar Marmoush, Ryan Cherki, Savinho, Ryan Ait Nouri, Nico O’Rilley, and Mateo Kovacic likely to miss out against Man United.
Top Stories:
