Manchester United star Ruben Amorim will be forced into a number of changes for Sunday’s clash against Crystal Palace
Manchester United’s unbeaten streak was halted at Old Trafford on Monday night. A tenacious Everton side managed to secure a 1-0 victory despite being reduced to 10 men for the majority of the match.
The relentless nature of the Premier League means there’s little time to dwell on defeat. United will be looking to bounce back when they face fifth-placed Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Manager Ruben Amorim is reportedly considering dipping into the transfer market to address United’s shortcomings, and he has been vocal about the team’s problems ahead of their trip to Selhurst Park. Here are some of the latest headlines from Old Trafford.
Real Madrid speculation
Despite bolstering their attacking line-up with the summer acquisitions of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, United failed to secure a new midfield signing. It wasn’t due to a lack of effort, as the club had shown interest in Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, but his reported £104million price tag meant a deal didn’t come to fruition.
There’s no doubt that United’s midfield needs an overhaul, especially with Casemiro turning 34 in February and Manuel Ugarte struggling to adjust to the demands of the Premier League, causing headaches for Amorim.
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games this season, an increase of up to 100 more.
According to reports from Spain, via TEAMtalk, the Portuguese manager is “planning to submit” a £105m offer for Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde. The 27-year-old has featured 341 times for Los Blancos during his eight years at the Bernabeu, collecting 14 major trophies along the way.
Nevertheless, speculation has been rife regarding his discontent at Madrid under Xabi Alonso, who has deployed the Uruguayan at right-back since October owing to injuries sustained by Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Amorim’s injury update
The build-up to the challenging Palace fixture has been far from ideal on the injury front, with Amorim confirming that Harry Maguire, Cunha and Sesko will all be unavailable for the encounter. Sesko, who arrived at United for £74m last summer, has made just six league starts this campaign and has managed only two goals.
The Slovenian was withdrawn during their 2-2 stalemate against Tottenham Hotspur with a knee problem and subsequently withdrew from international duty earlier this month. During Friday’s pre-match media briefing, Amorim confirmed he’ll continue without his forward. The United manager stated: “Sesko is going to take a little bit more time, [Harry] Maguire again the same.”
Ally in Glasner
Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation has attracted considerable scrutiny throughout his tenure in England, though the manager has remained steadfast in his approach. The deployment of Luke Shaw as a left centre-back in the loss to Everton, with Shaw conventionally operating as a left-back, drew the criticism of Gary Neville, who challenged the tactical choice.
The upcoming match at Selhurst Park on Sunday is set to be a clash of 3-4-3 formations, as Oliver Glasner also favours this system. The Austrian manager defended his counterpart’s use of the formation, acknowledging its benefits for United’s attacking play.
The Palace boss commented: “It’s really funny talking about the 3-4-3 system, and I think United have the highest xG in the Premier League for scoring goals. Their team has changed. Especially in attack. They needed more goals and they invested £200m, buying three players up front.
“Also, now they have players who can play very intense like [Bryan] Mbeumo. For me, it’s impressive to see. We compared it [their last meeting] to where they are now. I think their work-rate is much higher than it was last year and then they get the reward.”
2025-11-29 06:30:00
