“The expectation is…”: Injury update on United stalwart emerges, Amorim will be pleased

Manchester United clinched only their second clean sheet of the season during their hard-fought 1-0 win over Newcastle on Boxing Day. The fact that it came despite the absence of their two best defenders — Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire — showed the valiant effort put in by the likes of Ayden Heaven and Manuel Ugarte. The mounting injury crisis is a huge concern for Ruben Amorim, with Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo also sidelined, while Mason Mount also picked up a knock during the win over the Magpies. Add to this the fact that Amad, Bryan Mbeumo, and Noussair Mazraoui are away on AFCON duty, and this shows what an uphill battle the Red Devils have on their hands. Harry Maguire injury update However, in a rare positive injury update, Centredevils have claimed that the former club captain is inching closer to a return to action. The centre-back has resumed training on the grass, doing individual ball work. That suggests his rehabilitation is at an advanced stage. The next step is joining group training if everything goes smoothly from here on in. Hopefully, Harry Maguire can return to action sometime in January, which will be a huge boost considering the key games coming up. “CentreDevils understands that Harry Maguire is closing in on a return for Manchester United from injury. Amorim needs all the help he can get “The 32-year-old has stepped up his rehabilitation and has been doing individual on-ball grass training in the last week. “The expectation is to return to team training soon if his rehabilitation continues to go well.” One good thing about Amorim’s management has been his reluctance to push players, unlike his predecessor Erik ten Hag. That has largely meant fewer injuries in the current campaign. The 32-year-old has missed seven Premier League games on the bounce, with his last 90 minutes coming in the dramatic win against Liverpool at Anfield. The England international’s contract situation is another issue that needs solving, with his current deal ending in the summer. Feature image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25