Ruben Amorim is confident Harry Maguire and Mason Mount will be fit to face Brighton at Old Trafford on Saturday after sustaining knocks in Manchester United’s win at Liverpool last weekend.
Long-term casualty Lisandro Martinez is expected to be the only absentee from Amorim’s squad, although the Argentina defender is also set to return soon after stepping up his training routine.
‘The squad is fine,’ said Amorim at his pre-match press conference at Carrington on Friday. ‘We have some doubts. We had some issues during the week with Harry Maguire and Mason Mount; knocks but nothing serious. We will see tomorrow. Licha is out, but the rest are ready for the game.’
United must decide whether to offer Maguire a new contract before the end of the year because the England defender – who headed a late winner at Anfield – will be a free agent next summer and able to open talks with foreign clubs from January 1.
Amorim paid tribute to Maguire but was reluctant to be drawn on contract talks, saying: ‘We are really happy with Harry. It’s not the time to talk about that because it gives the idea we are thinking far away. We have to focus on the next game.
‘He is not young but he can learn a lot. He can improve. I think he can be so much better with the ball because he has that quality. He needs to show that.’
Ruben Amorim is confident Harry Maguire and Mason Mount will be fit to face Brighton
Amorim wouldn’t commit to a return date for Martinez who has been out since February
Amorim also wouldn’t commit to a return date for Martinez who has been out since February due to a ruptured ACL in his left knee. ‘I don’t know,’ said. ‘He trained really well, not with us but he was on the next pitch. I was watching also the training.
‘He is feeling well. He is responding really well. I don’t want to say that one specific day or one week. I don’t know but he is near to start the training with the team. Then it depends on the rhythm of the training.’
The Brighton game will mark Bruno Fernandes’ 300th appearance as a United player, and Amorim admitted that he didn’t appreciate his compatriot’s qualities before joining United.
‘I think he’s a little bit different,’ said the United boss. ‘Everything you read about the players sometimes is not that. You can understand sometimes that they are really focused. The frustration that he feels is because he wants to help a lot his teammates. Sometimes it’s not the best way, but it comes from a good place and you don’t know that when you are not here.
‘He wants the responsibility all the time. He suffers a lot with the losses. Every time we don’t win a game you can feel it. He takes it personally as he should be as a captain. He is a great leader, a great footballer.’
