Manchester United coach prepares trio for Elland Road. Plus: Semenyo set to play for Bournemouth despite transfer talk, and Toone extends deal
Ruben Amorim has told Manchester United teenagers Jack Fletcher, Shay Lace and Bendito Mantato that they “need to be ready” for Sunday’s hostile environment at Leeds United.
Amorim has been forced into giving all three their debuts as replacements in recent games due to a depleted squad. The head coach again expects to be without eight frontline players for the weekend visit to Elland Road. Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire, Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Mason Mount are all injured, while Noussair Mazraoui, Bryan Mbeumbo and Amad Diallo are away on Africa Cup of Nations duty.
Fletcher, 18, has appeared in United’s last three games – the 2-1 loss at Aston Villa, a 1-0 win over Newcastle and Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Wolves. Lacey, who is also 18, featured against Villa, while Mantato, 17, played against Wolves. Amorim was asked if he feels the trio can handle playing away to one of United’s fiercest rivals. “They have to,” he said. “It’s a game in a hostile environment, but they need to be ready and they need to experience that. But it’s going to be hard for any player. Even the guys with a lot of experience, but again, we already experienced that. [Athletic] Bilbao last year was amazing, the sound.”
