Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has been dealt a significant blow ahead of Sunday's Premier League trip to face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, confirming that both of his key strikers will be unavailable for selection.
Double Injury Blow for United Attack
Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko have failed to recover from their respective injuries in time for the match in South London. The attacking duo also missed United's previous fixture, a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Everton on Monday. The absence of both forwards leaves Amorim with a considerable selection headache as he seeks to reignite his team's goal-scoring form.
Cunha's situation is particularly frustrating for the manager and supporters. The forward sustained a knock during a training session last weekend. Before the Everton game, Amorim had described the issue as "nothing serious," fostering hope for a swift return. However, the player has not been passed fit for the Palace encounter.
Recovery Timelines and Squad Adjustments
Amorim provided a clearer update on his squad during his pre-match press conference on Friday. Regarding Sesko, who is nursing a knee injury picked up in the 2-2 draw with Tottenham before the international break, the manager stated, "Sesko is going to take a little bit more time." He added, "It will take a little bit longer and we are taking care of him."
There is more optimism surrounding Cunha's recovery. Amorim indicated he expects to have the Brazilian forward available for the following Premier League match against West Ham on Thursday. This forced absence led to Joshua Zirkzee making his first league start of the season against Everton, a match where United's attacking woes were starkly evident.
The injury news also extends to the defence, with centre-back Harry Maguire remaining sidelined with a hamstring problem. The defender's unavailability was inadvertently highlighted when he had to pull out of turning on the Christmas lights in Altrincham.
Context of a Frustrating Defeat
The significance of these absences is magnified by United's performance in their last outing. The 1-0 loss to Everton at Old Trafford was a difficult result to digest. United had 25 shots and 69% possession but could not find a way past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. This was despite playing the vast majority of the match against ten men after Idrissa Gueye's dismissal for slapping his own teammate, Michael Keane.
Reflecting on the defeat, Amorim admitted, "It was really tough, the week was hard with this result, this defeat, but the process needs to continue and we need to go to the next game." He expressed further frustration, noting, "If I look at the games, we should have more points. We had the advantage in some games and we lost control."
The loss to Everton ended a five-game unbeaten run in the league for United. The team currently sits 10th in the Premier League table with 18 points from their opening 12 matches. They head into the weekend fixtures just three points off the top four, highlighting the competitive and congested nature of the league's upper half.
