Before the derby against Man City
United coach cuts two stars from the squad
December 15, 2024 – 8:01 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
On Sunday, Manchester City and Manchester United faced each other in a direct duel. The guests were completely missing two star players.
Rúben Amorim won his first city derby as Manchester United manager. For a long time it looked like a defeat for the “Red Devils” against Man City. But a late double strike brought the turning point. Bruno Fernandes only scored the 1-1 equalizer in the 88th minute before Amad Diallo scored the decisive goal two minutes later. The crisis at Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City is deepening.
But there was also unrest at United before the game. Because Rúben Amorim decided to take Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford out of the squad. A surprising decision, after all, the two offensive players have been among the key figures at the “Red Devils” in the recent past.
Nevertheless, Amorim decided to take the tough step. “We evaluate everything, the training performance, the performance in the games, the way we treat our teammates. Everything plays a role when we select the players for the squad,” he said on the Sky microphone before the game.
At the same time, the Portuguese emphasized that he did not want to “send a message”. “It’s simply an assessment and they know that. Everyone understands my decision.” He communicated this to the players via WhatsApp message.
The demotion of the offensive players fueled rumors on social media among fans. Manchester United’s starting lineup has been leaked several times in the past few weeks.
Club supporters were certain that Alejandro Garnacho was the source of the leaks, as he was usually missing from the starting line-up when the squad was previously made public. However, there has so far been no public comment from the player or the club.