Manchester United will have Manuel Ugarte available for Thursday’s Europa League clash against Real Sociedad, but Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire and Mason Mount are out of the last-16 second leg.
Mount has returned to first-team training after three months on the sidelines with an injury problem, but as expected, the game against Real Sociedad will come too soon for the England international.
Yoro and Maguire are both missing, with the former picking up a foot issue against Arsenal in the Premier League last time out, while the latter has missed his side’s last two matches with an unspecified problem.
However, there is some good news on the injury front, with Ugarte available after a two-game absence, and the Uruguay international is expected to be straight back in the starting side on Thursday night.
“Mason Mount is too soon,” Amorim told reporters during his pre-game press conference. “Leny [Yoro] is out. Harry Maguire cannot play this one. I hope to have him for Sunday [against his former club Leicester City in the Premier League].
“Manu [Ugarte] is in the squad and I think there is no-one returning. No, no [Yoro’s absence] is not long term. Leny cannot play this game and the other game [Leicester].”
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Ugarte will return against Real Sociedad but club’s injury issues are still substantial
Altay Bayindir, Tom Heaton, Jonny Evans, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Kobbie Mainoo and Amad Diallo are also absent, while Chido Obi is ineligible for the latter stages of the Europa League.
Patrick Dorgu will be back in the squad, though, amid a domestic suspension, while youngsters Harry Amass and Jack Fletcher may be involved in the matchday squad against Real Sociedad.
Amorim admitted during Wednesday’s press conference that the management team at the club and the players are “underperforming”.
“I think if we’re being honest, in this moment everybody – we, all the players, me – we are underperforming this season. So we can always change that. I include myself in that part of underperforming,” he added.
“You are talking about players like Casemiro, for example, that won everything. We know that these kind of players can play so much better, so that is the focus. He [Sir Jim Ratcliffe] was honest on that, so the focus is to change his mind and all the people’s minds.
“If you are a top player and you play in this club… even me – a lot of people say I am not good enough for the club and my feeling is that you can change that with results. In training, I feel they want this really bad and especially for tomorrow.”
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Man United are aiming for Europa League quarter-final spot
Man United are level at 1-1 with Real Sociedad ahead of the second leg of their Europa League last-16 spot, and Amorim has refused to play down the importance of being in the quarter-finals of the competition.
“[Reaching the last eight] it’s also important to give us more energy to continue the season. We know that. It’s not going to change a lot the idea for the next season but it will give us more energy to finish the season in a different way,’ said the manager.
“So tomorrow again it’s going to be a really important game for us. I really enjoyed the training today, so we are ready to face the game.”
Man United will enter the clash with Real Sociedad off the back of a 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League, and it was a much-improved performance from the 20-time English champions amid a tough period.
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