Manchester United are in desperate need of a positive result when they return to Premier League action against Fulham tonight.
United got a vital victory over Rangers in the Europa League on Thursday but it came at a cost in two defensive casualties.
Matthijs de Ligt was forced off at half-time, replaced by Harry Maguire, with Leny Yoro following 10 minutes later.
While Ruben Amorim did not disclose the exact nature of the knocks, he suggested United will exercise extreme caution over the fitness of the pair, leaving them major doubts for tonight’s clash in the capital.
‘He [De Ligt] has a pain. So he cannot risk [it]. Leny felt pain also, so he cannot risk [it],’ Amorim told MUTV.
‘We have a lot of different players that can play so it was that. We cannot lose anybody.’
Noussair Mazraoui meanwhile missed the win over Rangers with a minor injury of his own and while his absence was thought to be a precautionary one, it remains to be seen whether he will be involved on Sunday.
United are already without Jonny Evans while Luke Shaw, another option to slot into Amorim’s back three, is also still unavailable.
Absences at the back could see Amad Diallo return to a wing-back role but even these latest shortages could see Marcus Rashford left out in the cold again.
The forward watched on from the stands on Thursday night despite there being space to include him in the matchday squad. Antony and Alejandro Garnacho, two other players whose futures are shrouded uncertainty, also made the squad ahead of the England international.
How United could line up this weekend…
Victor Lindelof has returned to training and could be in contention to start should injuries force Amorim’s hand.
United narrowly beat Fulham on the opening day of the season in the reverse fixture back in August.
Predicted Man Utd XI to face Fulham
Onana, Mazraoui, Maguire, Martinez, Diallo, Ugarte, Mainoo, Dalot, Fernandes, Zirkzee, Hojlund
Where to watch Fulham vs Man Utd? Kick-off time and TV channel
Fulham vs Man Utd kicks off at 7pm on Sunday, January 26.
The match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate with streaming available through the Discovery+ app.
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