Ruben Amorim is handed damage blow earlier than his first sport in command of Man United as star limps off whereas enjoying for his nation throughout worldwide break
- Amorim will take charge of his first game with Manchester United next weekend
- He will meet all of his players when they return from international duty this week
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Ruben Amorim has seemingly been dealt an injury below before he has even taken charge of his first game at Manchester United.
The Portuguese has been in Manchester this week as he adapts to his new job, which is as head coach of the Red Devils following his departure from Sporting Lisbon in his homeland.
He has been snapped meeting some of his players at Carrington and taking in the sights of the city while the majority of his players have been away playing for their countries.
That’s because it’s the international break, and United players such as Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho have been flying around the world to play for their countries in the final break of the year.
Not everyone has had the luxury – with stars such as Marcus Rashford not picked to play for their nations – while Harry Maguire is recovering from a foot injury.
One player, however, has been playing for Sweden, but may have picked up an injury himself to give Amorim some thinking to do just days out from his first match in charge of the club.
Ruben Amorim has been dealt an injury blow before taking charge of his first Man United game
The Portuguese looks set to play a back three but may have lost one of his options due to issue
Defender Victor Lindelof hobbled off during Sweden’s win over Slovakia on Saturday night
Victor Lindelof has been a bit-part player for United for the majority of his seven-year stay at the club, struggling to ever really nail down a place in the first XI despite making 266 appearances for the Red Devils.
He will have been hoping for the chance to play some games early in the reign of Amorim, who is expected to adopt a system that will use three centre backs.
That would be good news for the likes of Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt, who would almost be guaranteed spots in the side, with the likes of Leny Yoro to come back from fitness.
That trio would likely be the first-choice back three, with the likes of Maguire, Jonny Evans and Lindelof in reserve if needed.
But, with Yoro out and question marks over Martinez’s fitness, it’s likely that Amorim will need to dip into those resources early on in his reign if he wants to operate with the same system.
Lindelof, however, limped off in Sweden’s win over Slovakia on Saturday, raising a potential concern for Amorim when his players return from international duty.
Lindelof was named in the starting XI for the Nations League clash, which the hosts won 2-1 thanks to goals from Viktor Gyokeres – Amorim’s No 9 at Sporting – and Alexander Isak.
But the United defender’s night lasted less than half and hour, and he had to be helped off the pitch by two members of the Sweden medical staff, throwing his chances of featuring in Amorim’s first game against Ipswich next weekend into doubt.
Amorim has met some stars and will meet the remainder when they return from internationals
Lindelof could have been due to play in upcoming games as United stars struggled for fitness
Martinez, meanwhile, has travelled back from international duty early to meet new manager Amorim.
The 26-year old was called up by Argentina to face Peru and Paraguay in their World Cup qualifiers but was ruled out after having an injury that he picked up against Leicester City evaluated.
Martinez still had permission to stay in Argentina with his family for the entirety of the international break but began the journey back to England on Saturday so that he can begin work early with Amorim.
His first step upon arrival in Manchester will be to undergo tests to assess the extent of the physical discomfort that prevented him from playing for Argentina.