Manchester United are heading into a busy period of fixtures with their squad being decimated, and with Newcastle up next, a redemption story needs to happen.
Ruben Amorim, who was criticised for not rotating at the start of the season, now has his hands forced, and the onus is on the fringe players to prove he was wrong back then.
That alone is a strong motivating factor for those on the bench to come in and make themselves undeniable.
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However, for one, it goes much further back than that, especially with the next opponent being Newcastle and the transfer window inching closer.
Uncertainty around Joshua Zirkzee’s future
Bruno Fernandes’ injury against Aston Villa has made it so that Amorim will need to be creative in how he sets his midfield up against Newcastle.
Casemiro’s return will help, but Kobbie Mainoo’s injury plus Manuel Ugarte’s nightmare form adds to his headache, even though Lisandro Martinez emerged as a surprise contender to fill that role.
However, it brings into focus a potential solution that can achieve two objectives with a single change.
If Amorim drops Mason Mount into the pivot, effectively replacing Fernandes’ role next to Casemiro, it opens up a spot for Joshua Zirkzee.
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There’s a strong narrative surrounding Zirkzee at the moment, because he’s the subject of transfer interest from Serie A.
Il Messaggero goes as far as to claim that AS Roma have already tabled a bid for him worth about £36m, including loan fee and an option to buy.
Credit to Zirkzee, he has put his head down and continued to help the team, and he will be motivated further despite these rumours because of who the next opponent is.
Zirkzee’s full-circle moment vs Newcastle
If Zirkzee wants to stay, there is no better opponent to perform against than Newcastle, against whom he had the worst moment of his United career.
The date was December 30, 2024, and Ruben Amorim’s tenure was starting to struggle when Newcastle visited Old Trafford.
United promptly lost 0-2, but just after the half-hour mark, something that rarely happens at United happened, and Zirkzee was at the bad end of it.
The Dutchman was subbed off around the 30-minute mark, and the fans in the stadium cheered loudly for his substitution, effectively celebrating the withdrawal of the player.
It summed up a nightmare six months at the time for Zirkzee’s United career, and reports were already catching fire that the club would cut their losses in January.
Zirkzee persisted and impressed in the second half of the season, but now, as United are linked to Antoine Semenyo, he finds himself in the same place.
He’s facing Newcastle again, amid rumours of a potential exit, and this time, he will be determined to rewrite history.
A good performance against Newcastle to end the rumours will bring him full-circle nearly a year on from his worst moment against the same opponents.
Considering United’s weakened squad options, that should be enough motivation for him to do something special on Boxing Day.
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