Ruben Amorim will be without two key midfielders for Manchester United’s clash with Newcastle United on Monday as the problems continue to mount up.
Bruno Fernandes picked up his third red card of the season in the defeat against Wolves on Thursday evening, having been sent off for two bookable offences.
A lazy challenge on Nelson Semedo did the damage in the end, but Fernandes isn’t the only midfielder who will sit out United’s next match through suspension.
Manuel Ugarte, who has been an ever-present for United since Amorim arrived from Sporting CP, will also miss the clash through a yellow card suspension.
Commenting on his captain’s red card, Amorim said post-match: “It’s so tough to win games in this league with 11 men. With 10 men, it’s more difficult. We have to focus on that.”
And on his side’s performance, he added: “We have to improve the relationships, but we have some moments. We lack a little bit of aggression, but we don’t train.
“We just play and try to find a better way to win games and that’s it. We can’t control the games like the other ones that we lost. I think we were always in control of the game, not always dominating, but in control of some things, some set-pieces. The sending off was really hard for us.”
Given Mason Mount is expected to be out for some time with an injury, the double suspension presents a problem for Amorim, who will most likely need to shuffle his midfield pack.
The Portuguese coach turned to Christian Eriksen and Casemiro following the red card – perhaps a nod to how Amorim might set his side up on Monday night.
But it’s a game, given United’s current form, the Red Devils could really do with getting something out of.
The three-time European champions fell behind shortly after losing Fernandes against Wolves, with Matheus Cunha scoring directly from a corner kick.
It’s the second corner kick goal United had conceded in the space of seven days, after Tottenham‘s Son Heung-min curled home during the pair’s League Cup quarter-final clash last week.
Additionally, it was also the 10th goal United had conceded from set pieces all season, with only their Molineux opponents having conceded more.
Things got worse in added time when Cunha broke free of a stretched United backline, before squaring to Hwang Hee-chan, who gleefully swept home a second.
Another miserable day out for Amorim, whose side are now sat in 14th.
