Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has made a telling admission ahead of the January transfer window.
Manchester United find themselves without European football for only the second time since Sir Alex Ferguson’s managerial retirement.
Following their early Carabao Cup exit, the Red Devils are facing a season with significantly fewer fixtures than they are accustomed to.
Amorim has been unable to rotate his side with just one game a week, leaving several fringe players desperate for opportunities.
The 40-year-old admitted that “a lot of things can happen” in January.
He said (via ManUtd.com): “Our club needs to be in Europe, it’s hard to have a very, very good squad.
“Imagine for me to have Kobbie Mainoo with that [many] minutes that he’s playing, he needs more games for me to make a rotation because, with one game [a week], it’s really hard.
“When you have more games, you can divide, you can manage the group in a different way.
“A lot of things can happen. Even in our club, and you know that we have the World Cup, some players are not playing, they will ask to leave, so I have to manage everything.”
Difficult for players to trust the process
Kobbie Mainoo is still waiting for his first Premier League start of the season, while Joshua Zirkzee has seen just 82 minutes of action across four league games.
The situation is even tougher for Ayden Heaven, who has played only 28 minutes all campaign.
With Lisandro Martinez on the verge of returning from injury, competition for places will become even fiercer.
Teenage sensation Chido Obi played in the United first team eight times last campaign but has not been named in the matchday squad even once.
For young players blessed with talent and ambition, sitting on the sidelines can be agonising.
United need a robust squad to make the most of their recent winning momentum.
However, with the World Cup scheduled for 2026, players could demand an exit.
Both Zirkzee and Mainoo appear to be the most likely candidates to leave in January.
The United academy graduate has lost his place in the England squad to Elliot Anderson.
Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton is also ahead of Mainoo in the race.
For United fans, seeing Mainoo leave even temporarily would be deeply disappointing.
The 20-year-old is widely regarded as a generational talent, and Amorim must find a way to keep him involved and motivated at Old Trafford.
Stats from Fotmob.com
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Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .
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