Injuries and absences may force Ruben Amorim to experiment with new things in his Manchester United squad.
Sunday’s FA Cup defeat to Fulham saw Manchester United play a gruelling 120 minutes before losing in a penalty shootout at Old Trafford.
Harry Maguire was “very tired” when he was replaced by Ayden Heaven, while fellow defender Matthijs de Ligt was struggling to stay on his feet after an incredible display.
Ruben Amorim’s depleted squad only has three days to rest and prepare before returning to action on Thursday evening against Real Sociedad in the Europa League.
Amorim failed to fill the bench against Fulham and now he will have to chop and change his side again to keep his players fresh. One player could be in line for a positional change…
Ruben Amorim could experiment with Noussair Mazraoui
With Patrick Dorgu suspended following his red card, Noussair Mazraoui has returned to his wing-back spot on the right.
However, United’s £13m summer signing has also thrived as a centre-back this season. Soon, he may be pushed into midfield.
Ahead of the Fulham game, Amorim told MUTV that Mazraoui can be considered as a midfield option.
“He can play as a midfielder also. So I think nowadays when we have a lot of games, a lot of competition, to have players that can do different positions is really important,” Amorim said.
“And I think he’s going to improve in the future, but I think in this, you can say if you look to this season, he’s one of the best players in our squad, and he needs to continue.”
Erik ten Hag was ‘doomed’ after Noussair Mazraoui decision
If Amorim did experiment with Mazraoui in midfield, he would be the second United manager to try it this season.
Back in October, Mazraoui played as a No.10 against Fenerbahce in the Europa League. Erik ten Hag was forced to find a replacement for Bruno Fernandes following his red card, but his decision certainly raised eyebrows.
Ten Hag defended his Mazraoui decision, but the experiment only lasted 45 minutes with the summer signing returning to his favoured right-back spot in the second half. Looking back on the decision, Ten Hag was “doomed” to be sacked after fielding Mazraoui as a No.10.
However, Amorim seems to be hinting at Mazraoui playing in a defensive midfield role in his 3-4-3 system rather than an attacking midfielder.
Versatility is certainly one of Mazraoui’s strengths, but him playing in midfield should be a last resort.
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