Manchester United coaches are ‘losing patience’ with one first-team player, it has been reported.
United suffered their 18th league defeat of the season on Friday night, losing 1-0 at Chelsea.
Ruben Amorim‘s side, who currently sit in 16th place, have been the worst team in the Premier League since April 1, recording just two points from their last seven matches.
That is a lower total than already-relegated Southampton, while United also haven’t scored in any of their last three home games.
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Their poor performances have at least been offset by preparations for the Europa League final, with that being United’s only method of qualifying for European football for next season.
The winner of Wednesday’s final between United and Tottenham – who sit 17th in the league – will play Champions League football next season, with Amorim experimenting with some of his Premier League team selections.
Still, there have been growing concerns among fans about a number of players heading into next season.
One of those is Rasmus Hojlund, with The Telegraph claiming that United are open to selling him in order to fund Amorim’s rebuild in the summer transfer window.
The Dane signed for United for £72 million from Atalanta in 2023, but has scored just four Premier League goals this season.
The Manchester Evening News’ Samuel Luckhurst has claimed that unnamed coaching staff are ‘losing patience‘ with the striker over his lack of goals this season.
Amorim, though, has publicly backed the striker and has refused to drop him from the team. With six goals in the Europa League this term, it could be that a strong performance in the final could keep him firmly in the manager’s plans next season – even if, as expected, a new centre forward is signed.
Luckhurst has described Hojlund’s body language as ‘disconcerting’, and noted that he was complaining to team-mate Victor Lindelof after the full-time whistle at Stamford Bridge.
Perhaps the Dane has every right to be disappointed. He has only received 567 touches of the ball in the Premier League this season, with a total of 304 other players across the division touching the ball more often.
January signing Patrick Dorgu, who has made 20 fewer appearances than Hojlund, has only had eight fewer touches than him, though that is perhaps an indication of the growing importance of wing-backs getting on the ball and influencing the play under Amorim’s system.
Wednesday’s final in Bilbao, though, may prove pivotal to Hojlund’s future at Old Trafford.
