Amorim confirms Ramens to start against Liverpool! Hints at Mazraoui’s injury absence, two players competing for a key position

For the Manchester United trip to Liverpool this Sunday, the 27-year-old Moroccan right-back Mazraoui might miss out. Despite English reports forecasting his comeback, Ruben Amorim has stated otherwise. Mazraoui has been out injured for nearly a month, and Amorim said he is still unsure if he will play.

“Lisandro Martinez is close to recovery and has just rejoined team training, but he is not yet ready to play. As for Mazraoui’s situation, I’m not very clear,” Amorim said. “The returning internationals are prepared, but if you watched the matches, some players (Casemiro) traveled all the way to Japan, so we need to be cautious and give them more time to adjust. Diogo Dalot didn’t play in Portugal’s last game, so he trained today; Bruno Fernandes played 62 minutes, so we gave him an extra day of rest. We strive to balance everything to ensure all players perform at their best, but those coming back from national duty are fine.”

If Mazraoui cannot play, Amorim will choose between Dalot, Amad Diallo, and Patrick Dogu for the wing-back positions. The safer option is Dogu and Dalot, while a more attacking setup would have Dalot on the left and Amad on the right, which was the starting lineup when Manchester United beat Sunderland 2-0. It is widely believed Dalot will be a starter; whether he plays left or right depends on the competition between Amad and Dogu for the other spot.

It is almost certain that the goalkeeper position will continue to be held by 23-year-old Belgian international Senna Ramens. He kept a clean sheet in his debut against Sunderland and was subsequently called up to the Belgium squad, training alongside Courtois. However, Amorim hopes people won’t prematurely compare him to Peter Schmeichel.

Amorim said: “He performed exceptionally well against Sunderland and is very likely to start against Liverpool. Making a strong first impression in a match is crucial, but maintaining that level consistently is much harder. He hasn’t reached Schmeichel’s level yet, but he is indeed a highly talented young player who has already shown great composure. Fans appreciate his performances, but both he and we still need to prove ourselves further, and that can only be done in the next game.”

Liverpool entered the derby with a three-game losing streak, but Amorim stated there is still a gap in quality between the two teams. He is unsure how long it will take for Manchester United to challenge Liverpool for the Premier League title. In the past 12 years, Liverpool has won the Premier League twice, while Manchester United has not secured the league.

“I can’t say for sure. Sometimes things change very quickly; if you know the history of these two clubs, you’ll see that sometimes one club dominates for a long period while the other is in a slump,” Amorim explained. “Manchester United used to dominate the Premier League while Liverpool struggled; then when Liverpool took over, the same thing happened to Manchester United.”

Amorim continued: “I have to be honest with the fans — Manchester United could win any game, but if we want to reach Liverpool’s level, I don’t know how long it will take. That’s the goal we need to strive for. However, as long as we focus on the next match, we can beat any team, and that’s what matters most.”

Amorim admitted the team might be under immense pressure: “Maybe when you carry the huge burden of having to win, achieving that goal becomes much harder. Playing for a top club means you must win every match, but sometimes we struggle to do so. On the other hand, when people don’t expect Manchester United to win, players often perform better, but we need to change that. To do so, we must build confidence in beating opponents, earn more points, and have more freedom to express ourselves during games.”

In January this year, Manchester United visited Liverpool with a four-game losing streak but surprisingly drew 2-2. Amorim said: “In the end, we proved that Manchester United can compete with any opponent. That match was another chance to show our improvement; the whole team needs to do better defensively and offensively.”