Players need to rise to the challenge of Bruno’s injury, says Amorim as nited host Newcastle in Premier League on Boxing Day.
Amorim challenges Manchester United players to ‘step up’ after Bruno Fernandes injury.
Although Bruno Fernandes is “impossible to replace,” Ruben Amorim has advised Manchester United’s players that the captain’s absence presents an opportunity for them to step up.
Due to a soft-tissue injury that will keep him out for a lengthy time, Fernandes was substituted at halftime of Sunday’s defeat against Aston Villa. In the only Premier League match on Boxing Day, United will visit Newcastle. Amorim was asked how he would make up for Fernandes’s absence given that Kobbie Mainoo, the 31-year-old’s deputy, is also hurt.
“It is impossible to replace Bruno but I said that this morning to the team – [that] we need to take the good thing, if there is a good thing on that, which is a lot of people need to step up,” the head coach said. “It is not just the creation. Every set piece he is the guy who is organising the team and that is a good opportunity for everyone to step up and understand we cannot rely on one player for everything.”
Amorim also pointed to Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo being away with Cameroon and Ivory Coast respectively at the Africa Cup of Nations. “Sometimes we rely on Bruno for organisation and the creation. We have lost Bruno on set pieces, Bryan and Amad on set pieces, so this is massive for the team. He understands every position on the field, he pays attention to every detail. Every set piece when you have a substitution he is always the guy telling the other guys where they should be.
“But that is a very good opportunity for guys like Licha [Lisandro Martínez], Luke Shaw, all these guys. We need to step up to have more leaders in the group because this can happen to Bruno. It is not usual but this can happen so it is a big opportunity for the other guys. It is an opportunity for other players to step up and to show the leadership that we need.”