Ruben admits players’ load being managed

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has revealed that four of his players have a “time limit” at the moment, when it comes to their minutes on the pitch.

The boss made six changes to his XI, on the back of a 4-0 win over Everton at the weekend, as the Reds were beaten 2-0 at Arsenal.

He is unwilling to take unnecessary risks with his players so Tyrell Malacia, Harry Maguire, Leny Yoro and Mason Mount are being treated particularly carefully.

Malacia was withdrawn at half-time in his first Premier League appearance since the victory over Fulham, in May 2023.

Maguire came off for Yoro, who made his competitive debut for he club, while Mount was substituted in the second half.

Amorim: Don’t just look at the result Video

Amorim: Don’t just look at the result

Ruben Amorim says the Reds must assess what was lacking in our defeat at Arsenal, and apply it moving forward…

“It’s not just because we like to change all the time,” Amorim said of his selection. “But we have to have all the squad fit.

“For example, Harry Maguire has a time limit, Tyrell Malacia has a time limit, Mason Mount has a time limit, Leny Yoro really has a time limit. We have to manage and winning games with different methodology, a different way of playing, more metres to press.

“Tomorrow, we have to assess and the guys who have a risk of some injury will not play. We have to have everyone, to work, to play and to improve the squad.”

While rotation has been the name of the game so far, with two-goal stars against Everton, Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee, starting on the bench, alongside Sunday’s Man of the Match Amad at the Emirates Stadium, Amorim is clearly keen to avoid taxing his players to a level that will see them sustain injuries.

Luke Shaw missed the Gunners defeat after suffering a small setback, and Amorim is unsure when the defender will be available again.

“I don’t know,” he said at his press conference in the capital. “When we have injuries, the coach dos not say how many days they need to recover. No matter how long he will need, I will be with him to help him return. It’s not just Manchester United but also your national team needs a guy like Luke Shaw.”

Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo are free from suspension at the weekend, after serving their one-game bans.

Nottingham Forest provide the opposition in the 17:30 GMT kick-off on Saturday, at Old Trafford, as the relentless schedule continues.

Amorim is seeking more improvements as the Reds will aim to get back to winning ways.

“In the last part, the last third, you can see we need to improve,” he added. “Be more aggressive, more ideas but, yeah, that part is more difficult to improve.”

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