Amorim to wait on absent Reds

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim said during his post-match press conference at Tottenham that he hopes Leny Yoro and Christian Eriksen will soon return from illness.

The pair were among the absentees for the 1-0 loss to Spurs on Sunday, with Eriksen missing out on another chance to play against his former club.

Amorim stressed there will be something of a waiting game before knowing who will be in his squad for our next outing, Saturday’s trip to resurgent Everton.

However, Kobbie Mainoo is expected to be out for weeks, while Amad has effectively been ruled out for the season by the boss.

See what he told journalists in the capital…

Ruben’s post-match press conference Video

Ruben’s post-match press conference

Press conference | Ruben Amorim discusses injuries, Chido Obi and Joshua Zirkzee after our loss at Spurs…

WHAT DECIDED THE MATCH?

“The big difference was the goal they scored, we didn’t score. We had the chances. We tried a different approach with the players that we had. We had to change during the week and I’m really pleased with the effort, the way they challenged Tottenham. We created situations but, in the end, I think the biggest difference was they scored, we didn’t.”

INJURY/ILLNESS UPDATE

“It’s hard to know [when they will be back]. Let’s wait a few more days. I think Leny and Chris, they were sick, so they will recover. Of course, Chris has the heart situation so we have to be careful with that. It’s nothing about the heart, but the heart-rate has to be controlled because he has a fever. So I think we will recover them, the other guys, I think Kobbie is out, Amad is out for sure, I think, until the end of the season.”

HOW LONG IS MAINOO OUT?

“Let’s see, I think weeks.”

WHY DID THE INURIES HAPPEN?

“I think it’s everything together. Amad was alone, he was doing a tackle, the feet were sticking in the grass. Some players felt sickness during training. So, it’s everything. You do everything to try and get the players fit, we always talk about my changes, game by game, to try to help the players be fit. I’m always asking for one week then, in one week, we lost so many players. Sometimes, we have the moment where everything is going wrong.”

CHIDO OBI’S LATE INTRODUCTION

“I think if you see Chido playing sometimes, every ball lost in the box, he’s very clever. So, I was trying to put one more player [in there]. I felt the team was good during the game and I didn’t feel the need to change. Then, Chido was like that player, one long ball in and he could make the difference.”

SHOWING FRUSTRATION AT MISSED CHANCES

“We want them to score. Sometimes, in these moments, you feel a little bit frustrated because you can feel that [scoring] can change the game. That’s all. After two seconds, I’m just focused on helping them to play football.”

RESPONDING TO THE RESULT

“Of course [we’re frustrated], for us, for our fans. But we need to stop focusing on the big picture, it’s not the moment to do that, just focus on the next game. Do everything to win some games to finish the season and then think in the big picture. In this moment, it’s just to try to keep the players healthy, recover some players and focus on what we have to do in the next game.”

IN SURVIVAL MODE

“In this moment, I think it is more than that, the idea, the system. This moment, it’s survive. Think in the small things, improve the small things from this game for the next game and not even look at the table or the schedule. Of course, I have to because we have a lot of games, we have three competitions with a small squad at the moment but that part is my part. The players, everyone at Carrington, just have to focus on the next game, the next training. That is our goal.”

ARE ABSENCES AN EXCUSE?

“You look at the squad in the beginning of this week, with time to train and then, day by day, we are losing players. But I don’t want to use it as an excuse, every coach in the world now is suffering with that. Sometimes, in these moments, everything goes wrong. But we have to face the challenge and focus on the next game, that’s all.”

ZIRKZEE AND DORGU PLAYING WELL

“I think Josh is not a clear nine, he played more as a 10. He’s stronger physically, he’s thinner, he’s working really hard and he plays in a better position for him. He’s improving, he’s winning more duels and he’s even faster, you feel that in the game, and that helps to make the decision. And Dorgu, the way Tottenham press, really high, sometimes you have more time to think than in the other games. He played on the left also, that could help, but he has the experience to play left and right. So, Dorgu will improve a lot and for Josh, the same thing.”

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