Ruben Amorim delivers more bad news at Manchester United

Coach Ruben Amorim disclosed that Mason Mount wished to continue playing despite his injury, yet Manchester United was forced to be careful given the player shortage before facing Newcastle.

Coach Ruben Amorim stated that Mason Mount expressed his desire to keep playing after suffering an injury during the match against Newcastle United,which took place in the early hours of December 27 (Vietnam time). However, the Manchester United manager confirmed that the team could not risk losing another midfielder for an extended period.

In the encounter with Eddie Howe’s squad, Manchester United faced a serious shortage of players. Captain Bruno Fernandes,midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, and central defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire were all absent. Moreover, Mount had to leave the field just after halftime, making way for young talent Jack Fletcher for the second half’s 45 minutes.

“He felt something wrong at halftime. Mount still wanted to continue playing, which was a positive sign. He wanted to be on the pitch in the second half, but we couldn’t risk losing more players. When not at 100%, Jack performed very well,” Amorim shared with Sky Sports.

The Portuguese coach also praised Fletcher extensively: “This is a very important moment for any young player. He will hear many things from his father, who will say a lot, but the key is to stay calm and focus on praising the boy. Fletcher is truly humble, hardworking, and deserves this opportunity.”

Despite the squad losses, Manchester United managed a hard-fought victory thanks to a rare clean sheet. Patrick Dorgu emerged as an unexpected hero by delivering a stunning volley, scoring his first goal for the club. The Danish international impressed by playing in a more advanced role than his usual position.

Not long before, Amorim had urged Dorgu to boost his confidence after some shaky performances that worried the coach. The former Lecce player clearly took this advice to heart, mentioning it again in his post-match interview with Sky Sports.

“That was a good shot. I didn’t think I could do that, but I’m very happy to score my first goal at this stadium. It’s really amazing,” Dorgu said. “I just focused on improving my confidence like the coach told me. Today, I think I played well. I saw the ball dropping and took the shot. I have practiced this on the training ground, and that helped me.”

Amorim also admitted that the 0-2 home defeat to Newcastle last December influenced his unexpected switch to a four-defender formation: “In the first half, I felt it was the only way to create more threats and chances, with a back four and more players active in midfield,” he said.

“Even in ball control, because I still remember last year’s game when we lost in one-on-one duels on the flanks. We tried to rethink the match and help the players feel more comfortable when starting.”