Ruben Amorim insists squad rotation is behind his decision to drop Rasmus Hojlund for Joshua Zirkzee ahead of Manchester United's Premier League clash with Everton. Hojlund scored twice in the Red Devils' 3-2 Europa League win over Bodo/Glimt on Thursday but has been named among the substitutes for today's match at Old Trafford.
The Danish forward is one of six changes from that triumph. Andre Onana, Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez and Bruno Fernandes are the only players who have kept their places.
Diogo Dalot, Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo, Amad Diallo, Marcus Rashford and Zirkzee have all come into the team. Amorim insists that his physically-demanding style of football requires squad rotation to keep the squad fit.
The United boss told the club’s website: “It’s impossible to cope with all the games with the same team. We have to be ready, we are changing the way we play. Everybody has to play and everybody has to train.
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“It’s impossible in three days to recover all the players. We played in a different game against Bodo/Glimt. We press a lot, some players were tired, so I prefer for fresh legs and for different characteristics to be harder for the opponents to understand how we are going to play.
“We have returns like Kobbie Mainoo, one of the best young guys in this league. We have international players like I say all the time, so they are ready to win the game.”
Amorim started with a relatively fluid front three in last weekend's 1-1 draw with Ipswich, his first outing as United's head coach. Rashford has returned to the starting 11 after scoring inside two minutes during that game.
However, the Portuguese tactician was coy on where Rashford will line up in his usual 3-4-2-1 formation, with Zirkzee also considered a natural No. 9. He continued: “I can't tell you everything. We'll try to use the different characteristics to confuse the opponent. You'll see for yourself in less than an hour."
Amorim is hoping to win his first Premier League game today. United were held to a stalemate by Ipswich, and were fortunate not to lose as Andre Onana made several excellent saves.
United won their first match of the Amorim era when they beat Bodo/Glimt in Europe. The 39-year-old will be desperate for his side to see off Everton at Old Trafford.
