Ruben Amorim has been boosted by the returns of two Reds ahead of the visit of Sunderland this Saturday afternoon.

The under-pressure Manchester United boss could certainly use all the help he can get as he looks to turn the side’s fortunes around following a dismal start to the campaign.

How United fare heading into Sunderland contest

With three defeats to United’s name in their opening six matches, anything other than a win this weekend would prompt even further speculation over Amorim’s job security, especially given an international break follows the Sunderland clash.

On the other hand, overturning the Black Cats, who’ve enjoyed a stellar run of form upon their return to the top flight, would be a much-needed boost before the break, during which Amorim will have some respite to go back to the drawing board and prepare for the forthcoming October fixtures. 

Amorim boosted by returns of Amad Diallo and Tyrell Malacia

In terms of the options we can expect to see on Saturday, it has been confirmed today that Amad Diallo has returned to first-team training after being granted a period of absence for a family bereavement – hence not being involved at Brentford.

As well as the forward, Tyrell Malacia is a surprise face amongst the senior squad at Carrington, having spent the first two months of the term keeping up his fitness levels with the Under-21s.

Malacia was part of Amorim’s ‘bomb squad’ over the summer, but was the only member who failed to secure a move elsewhere. 

He has not featured for the Reds since January, when he left for PSV Eindhoven on a half-season loan spell. The Dutchman claimed an Eredivisie winners’ medal upon the culmination of the campaign, but PSV ultimately opted against making his transfer permanent.

Alas, he will now look to prove himself once again under Amorim, whom he made eight appearances under when returning from his 18-month injury layoff last November.

In the event Kobbie Mainoo decides to push for a mid-season departure from Manchester United, he won’t be short of suitors.

Whilst the whole team has endured a truly torrid start to 2025/2026, the youngster has also personally been navigating his uncertain situation at Old Trafford, whereby he’s fallen out of favour under Ruben Amorim.

Fans will recall that in the final week of the summer window, Mainoo requested a loan move away from the club after being an unused substitute for the opening two Premier League matches of the term.

His pleas fell on deaf ears in the United hierarchy, and he was made to stay put and fight for his role.

Kobbie Mainoo: The state of play this season

It’s since been claimed that Mainoo is likely to do the same in January if his situation has not changed.  With how things are going, you can imagine that’d be the case in three months’ time.

The 20-year-old has yet to start in the league thus far and has totalled only 100 minutes worth of action across the four appearances he’s made. The lengthiest cameo he’s been granted came in the form of a 45-minute stint against Burnley on August 30, during which he replaced the injured Mason Mount at half-time.

He then played 28 minutes in the subsequent Manchester derby defeat, three minutes against Chelsea and 24 minutes in the defeat to Brentford last weekend.

Who might be interested in Mainoo?

So, where might Mainoo end up if he sees out the second half of the campaign in another club’s colours?

According to MailSport, his preference in the summer was to join Napoli, in a move that’d see him reunite with former teammates Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund while plying his trade alongside six-time Premier League winner Kevin De Bruyne.

The reigning Serie A champions may revive their interest in the winter, and given there’ll be more time for a deal to be negotiated, both Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid could even enter the mix, amongst a host of other top European sides.

🔴 UTD CONFIDENTIAL 🔴

👀 Utd chiefs believe Amorim can turn it around
🔵 Mainoo’s Napoli preference
🩼 Walking wounded Fletcher stands out after op
❌ Amorim’s U21s no show
🤝 Lacey finds ally in Maguire

W/@ChrisWheelerDM #mufchttps://t.co/qytymREF0l

— Nathan Salt (@NathSalt1) September 30, 2025

Manchester United’s goalkeeping woes have been one of the club’s most glaring issues over the past two years or so. 

Since David De Gea’s departure in the summer of 2023, the Red Devils have been unable to find themselves a safe pair of hands.

Andre Onana was pinpointed as the Spaniard’s heir, with the club spending £47.5 million to reunite him with his old Ajax boss, Erik ten Hag. However, the Cameroonian endured two miserable campaigns at Old Trafford, marked by shocking howlers.

Man United’s goalkeeping department has been an utter mess

This summer, Man Utd decided to replace Onana with Senne Lammens who sealed a deadline-day switch to Carrington, while the former Inter Milan star was sent on loan to Trabzonspor in Turkiye.

Nevertheless, the new boy has yet to make an appearance for MUFC, with Ruben Amorim sticking to Altay Bayindir. The Turkiye international has thus far featured in every Premier League contest for United this term, even though his performances have left much to be desired.

But while the club’s supporters still have high hopes for Lammens, another Man Utd has been presenting himself as a possible solution, as, unlike the Belgian, he’s been very much active this season.

As the Daily Mail journalist Chris Wheeler notes, Radek Vitek has been excellent since the start of the season.

The 21-year-old is spending his campaign on loan at Bristol City, and he immediately cemented himself as the club’s No.1 between the sticks. The giant custodian has been consolidating his status with every new outing. He has already collected three clean sheets, while saving 75 per cent of the shots he has faced, without making any errors leading to a goal.

Radek Vitek proving he deserves a chance at Man Utd

Vitek has already been praised for his ‘eye-catching’ displays this campaign, and is now considered a fan favourite among the Robins.

The Czech started his career at Olomouc’s academy in his home nation, before being poached by Man Utd in 2020. He spent the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Accrington, while representing Austria’s Blau Weiss Linz throughout the 2024/25 season.

Last summer, Man United did well to tie down Vitek with a new contract valid until 2028, before sanctioning his move to Bristol, which suggests that the club believes in his potential.

Hence, the young man’s time at Old Trafford might come sooner than expected, especially if the confusion at the back isn’t dispelled in the coming months

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo could be on the move in January, as three possible destinations emerge.

The 20-year-old is an academy product of the club who enjoyed a meteoric rise to stardom under the guidance of Erik ten Hag in the 2023/24 campaign. However, his fortunes changed following Amorim’s arrival at the club last November.

The Portuguese manager tested the youngster in various roles last season, but wasn’t entirely convinced. This term, Amorim made it clear that Mainoo will have to ‘fight’ for a spot in the lineup against club captain, Bruno Fernandes. Unsurprisingly, the 30-year-old has been given the nod ahead of the youngster in all six Premier League fixtures thus far this season.

Kobbie Mainoo to revive Napoli plans?

The England international had already envisioned a difficult campaign for him at Carrington, so he had requested a loan move in late August. After all, he’s been desperate for playing time ahead of next summer’s World Cup.

According to the Daily Mail journalist Chris Wheeler, Mainoo’s first option last summer would have been Napoli, where his former United teammate, Scott McTominay, has been thriving, and even went on to win the Serie A title last season, and was named the league’s MVP.

The source thus believes that the young midfielder will revive his exit plans come January, especially if Amorim is still at the helm, and a move to Antonio Conte’s court could be back in fashion. The player’s other options are crosstown rivals, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

Could Mainoo resurrect Man Utd career with new role?

In the meantime, it remains to be seen if the Englishman can somehow find his way back to Man Utd’s lineup, which remains a popular demand among the club’s supporters. While usurping Bruno remains unlikely, recent reports claimed that the technical staff is working on repackaging Mainoo as a No.6, where he’ll have a higher chance of getting the nod amidst Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte’s struggles.

Nevertheless, Wheeler notes the young star’s lack of fitness was evident last Saturday, as he was unable to maintain possession in the closing stages of the contest against Brentford, thus allowing the hosts to add a third goal.

So while Amorim’s treatment of Mainoo might be somewhat unfair, the player must also do his part, and work hard to maintain his best physical condition so he wouldn’t squander a rare opportunity when it comes his way.

Manchester United are still hoping to usurp their rivals, Manchester City, in the race for teenage sensation Keir McMeekin.

Last summer, the Red Devils made some interesting additions to the first team, spending more than £200 million on their new attacking trio, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, while also bringing in Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens as a replacement for Andre Onana.

While these names dominated the headlines around Carrington, Man Utd also pulled off other moves that may have gone under the radar, as they recruited some exciting young profiles who joined their youth ranks, most notably Enzo Kana-Biyik, Harley Emsden-James, and Charlie Hardy.

Nevertheless, MUFC’s insatiable desire to bolster their young squads has no limit, so they have now decided to plunge into another battle for the services of a wonderkid.

Man United still hoping to land Keir McMeekin

In recent days, McMeekin’s name has been doing the rounds, with many believing he’s on the cusp of signing for Man City.

The 15-year-old is a Scottish midfielder who’s honing his skills at the academy of Hearts. The teenager has been burning the stages, and has already made his debut for Scotland U17 earlier this month.

McMeekin’s swift rise to prominence has alarmed both halves of Manchester, thus sparking a bidding war.

According to the Centre Devils journalist Sully, Man Utd ‘are pushing’ to overtake Man City in the race for the 15-year-old starlet.

How Man Utd can beat Man City for McMeekin

The young lad has thus been invited to Carrington alongside members of his family and entourage, as the club’s directors are trying to sway him to the red half of the city.

The hope is to try to woo the player with the newly reinvigorated training facility, which was unveiled in the summer. Moreover, United are said to be willing to financially recompense Hearts.

The source admits that this could be a daunting task at this stage, as negotiations with the Cityzens are at a more advanced stage, as Pep Guardiola’s club may have already submitted an offer for the player.

Antony has shed some light on his drawn-out summer saga awaiting his move to Real Betis.

In fairness to Manchester United, the deal would’ve been completed as early as Antony liked had Betis met their demands from the get-go in the window.

After his loan spell came to an end in Seville last June, the out-of-favour winger returned to Manchester to form one fifth of Ruben Amorim’s ‘bomb squad’.

He joined Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia as the players angling for moves away from United, although the latter has since been restored to the first-team, having failed to secure his desired exit.

Antony to Real Betis: How the transfer came to fruition – and why it took as long as it did

In regard to Antony’s situation, he only had his heart set on a return to Betis, where he had enjoyed a complete career revival throughout the second half of 2024/2025.

He bid farewell to his Red Devils teammates in January without making a single Premier League start under Erik ten Hag or Amorim, and proceeded to instantly play an integral role under Manuel Pellegrini at the Villamarin Stadium.

The Brazilian started 15 out of 17 possible La Liga matches, returning five goals and two assists, as well as starting all nine of Betis’ UEFA Conference League fixtures, including the final, which saw them suffer a 4-1 defeat to Chelsea.

Throughout the side’s European campaign, Antony notched an impressive four goals and three assists, making it no surprise that everyone involved at Betis was adamant about bringing him back this term.

Yet, the forward’s exit hit a roadblock in the closing stages of the window when he began demanding that his contract be paid out by United, who, of course, rebuffed such a request.

Betis then – bizarrely – released a statement claiming they had withdrawn their offer to the Reds, giving the clubs little time to try and negotiate past the impasse.

They eventually did, and United accepted a bid worth £19 million up front plus £2.5 million in add-ons – a significant loss on the £82 million they forked out for him when signing him from Ajax in 2022.

Antony opens up on ‘tough’ summer window waiting on Betis return

Nonetheless, the 25-year-old has picked up where he left off with Los Verdiblancos, recording two goal contributions in his first four appearances in 2025/2026.

Antony has reflected on what became a ‘tough’ summer saga for him now that the dust has settled, telling Desmarque (h/t Sport Witness): “They were very tough months in England, more than 40 days in the hotel, training separately. I feel like they disrespected me, but that’s not the point.”

“I don’t want to create controversy; that’s life. I’m very grateful for the club; there were bad times, but also good times, with two titles (the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup).”