Manchester United will be without Matheus Cunha when they visit Crystal Palace in the 2025/26 Premier League on Sunday, another setback for boss Ruben Amorim, whose explosive attacking creativity was sorely lacking in Monday’s 1-0 defeat to Everton.
The Brazilian, who suffered a blow during training in the run-up to the match against Everton, is sidelined along with striker Benjamin Sesko and defender Harry Maguire.
«Sesko (needs) a little more time. Harry the same. Matheus (may be available) the next match, not this one,» Amorim said on Friday.
United are tenth with 18 points, but just two points behind Palace in fifth. Despite a five-match unbeaten run prior to Monday, Amorim is not satisfied.
“I think when I look at the games we should have more points,” he said, referring to draws with Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest.
READ ALSO | Premier League: Chelsea’s Palmer returns for crucial match against Arsenal
«Because we were in control of some games, in some games we had the advantage and then we lost that control. And that’s really disappointing, really frustrating, especially in the last game,» Amorim added.
Amorim had said after Monday’s defeat that his team was nowhere near the level it should be at.
When asked how to avoid a downward spiral of poor results like last season, when it dropped to 15th place, he said: «We have to understand that, especially in our league this year, everything can change very quickly. So let’s go again and focus on the next one. We have to feel the urgency to win games. We know what happens around the club if we don’t win games.»
United have recorded just one away win in their last eleven games.
«It’s hard to pinpoint one thing why we’re not winning. There are a lot of problems that we’re improving. We need to know how to finish the games to win,» Amorim said.
«I felt during this season that the intensity was higher when we played at home, but I felt that during this match at home (on Monday) the intensity was not at the same level. So I think it is something we have to work on,» he added.
Published on November 28, 2025
