The November international break has now finished and full attention turns to Ruben Amorim’s debut as Manchester United head coach.
Manchester United were forced to wait for the international break before welcoming Ruben Amorim to Carrington.
After a slight delay due to work visa issues, Amorim held United training on Monday for the first time but he only had 11 senior players available.
That was because 14 United players were called up for international duty meaning they will only have two full sessions with Amorim before Sunday’s Premier League clash against Ipswich Town.
United players are all fighting for starting spots under Ruben Amorim and while some international stars have impressed over the break, others endured a tough two weeks. Let’s start with the five winners.
Manuel Ugarte
Manuel Ugarte is expected to play a key role under Amorim having previously worked with him at Sporting Lisbon.
The 23-year-old has been gradually improving since arriving at Old Trafford for a £42m fee and he looked full of confidence while away with Uruguay.
Uruguayan media hailed Ugarte as a “lion” after his display against Brazil in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Ugarte was also Uruguay’s hero against Colombia after scoring a dramatic winner in the 101st minute. He should return to Manchester brimming with confidence ready to shine under Amorim.
Bruno Fernandes
After a slow start to the season, Bruno Fernandes burst into life under Ruud van Nistelrooy, scoring four goals in four games.
He carried that momentum into the international break and scored for Portugal in their emphatic 5-1 win over Poland on Friday evening.
Fernandes handed Amorim a boost by picking up a yellow card for Portugal which meant he was suspended for their second game and therefore made an early return to Manchester.
He will have a few extra sessions with United’s new head coach before Sunday’s clash.
Noussair Mazraoui
Noussair Mazrouai has proven to be a bargain for United after joining for just £12m in the summer.
He has flown under the radar during the international break but Mazraoui was involved in both of Morocco’s games as they beat Gabon 5-1 and Losotho 7-0 back-to-back.
Noussair Mazraoui also played at both left-back and right-back in those games. That versatility will make him a key player under Amorim.
Gabriele Biancheri
Gabriele Biancheri scored a hat-trick for Wales’ Under-19s and continued his path to stardom. The 18-year-old will be knocking on Amorim’s door extremely soon.
Matthijs de Ligt
During previous international breaks, Matthijs de Ligt has been heavily criticised by Dutch media but he put on a wonderful display on Tuesday evening.
De Ligt was excellent against Bosnia and Herzegovina in a back three. That should stand him in good stead when it comes to learning Amorim’s tactical setup.
Now for the three losers…
Victor Lindelof
Victor Lindelof would have been hoping for a chance to impress in Amorim’s back three, but his international break ended in disaster.
Lindelof limped off against Slovakia holding his hamstring and is now expected to spend a few weeks on the sidelines.
Lisandro Martinez
Lisandro Martinez suffered a nightmare start to the break after he was stranded in Brazil for over 30 hours on his way to meet up with the Argentina squad.
Things went from bad to worse when Martinez returned to Manchester with an injury. He is still being assessed ahead of the Ipswich Town clash on Sunday.
Rasmus Hojlund
The Denmark manager had to defend Hojlund after he endured a difficult evening against Spain. He is going through a goal drought on the international stage which will not help his confidence.
Meanwhile, the man who could take Rasmus Hojlund’s starting spot at Old Trafford stole the headlines. Viktor Gyokeres scored five goals for Sweden in two matches.
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