Bruno Fernandes injury: Man Utd face up to a month without captain
Amorim named Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw as two senior players who could stand out, but it was Fernandes’ fellow Portuguese Diogo Dalot who took the captain’s belt at Villa Park.
It is unfortunate that Mainoo was unable to replace Fernandes on the pitch after waiting for his chance all season, but Amorim says he expects the England international to return first.
With defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire still missing and Noussair Mazraoui completing United’s trio of Afcon representatives, Amorim will be without seven senior players against Newcastle, with only Casemiro returning following his one-match suspension.
That will likely mean more minutes for academy pair Jack Fletcher and Shea Lacey, who made their debut against Villa in the second half.
Having repeatedly missed opportunities to advance to the Champions League, Amorim now has to produce results with a significantly weakened squad against the opponents his side must beat. After Newcastle, their next opponents will be Wolves, Leeds and Burnley, who are struggling with relegation.
The former Sporting coach remains optimistic about their chances.
“I believe we will win every match,” he said. “Of course we have some problems, but even though we don’t have many players at the moment, I believe in the team and I trust my players. If we really focus, we can win.”
