Ruben Amorim could be set for further Manchester United problems with two stars facing a suspension threat in their Premier League clash with Wolves today. The Red Devils head to the Midlands hoping to overcome their chastening 3-0 defeat against Bournemouth prior to Christmas.
Amorim has enjoyed a mixed start to his reign. A highlight of his first month was the 2-1 victory over Manchester City. However, the Portuguese coach has also suffered home defeats against the likes of Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest.
And he could be without an important duo for the crunch visit of Newcastle on December 30. That is because Manuel Ugarte and Harry Maguire are one yellow card away from a one-match suspension.
Players have up to and including matchweek 19 to avoid collecting five yellow cards. Ugarte and Maguire make plenty of tackles, so are at risk of a ban.
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Midfielder Ugarte seems set to play an important role under Amorim. He made his breakthrough in European football under the 39-year-old at Sporting CP before spending an unhappy year at Paris Saint-Germain.
Meanwhile, Maguire could play a more prominent role during Amorim’s reign than he did during Erik ten Hag’s. The England centre-back has started United’s last two matches.
Some reports suggest that Maguire could even win a contract extension over the coming months. That suggests that the 31-year-old is part of Amorim’s plans and is set to revive his Old Trafford career, having been surplus to requirements under the previous regime.
But Amorim will be without Ugarte and Maguire for an important game against Newcastle if they are booked against Wolves. Even more concerningly, they would miss the trip to Liverpool on January 5 if they receive a yellow card against the Magpies.
There are several players in a similar predicament across the Premier League this week. Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez and Nicolas Jackson, Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo, Dominik Szoboszlai and Darwin Nunez, Manchester City’s Bernando Silva all have four yellow cards.
United boss Amorim has admitted that his side are in “one of the lowest moments”. Asked what he wants from outcast Marcus Rashford, he responded: "Like any other player, the best that they can be.
"If you have big talent, big performance, big responsibility, push forward everybody in this moment. Some guys have a big responsibility here because they are here for a long time.
"This is maybe one of the lowest moments in our club so we have to face it and be strong in this moment. That's what I want from every player on the team."
