Ruben Amorim will make his Old Trafford bow this evening as Manchester United welcomes Norwegian kingpins Bodo/Glimt for a Europa League encounter.
The Portuguese tactician began his reign with a Portman Road draw against Ipswich in an entertaining Premier League outing that emphasised the task ahead of him.
In Europe, United have once more failed to captivate a disgruntled audience, with an underwhelming collection of performances that see the Reds occupying 15th in the new-look format.
However, a 2-0 Manchester victory against Greek side PAOK in matchday four has ended a dreary run of winless continental fixtures and set the stage for a floodlit theatre of Dreams ahead of a Scandinavian affair.
Despite three draws in four outings, victory this evening could propel Amorim’s men as high as seventh, with upcoming ties against Viktoria Plzen, Rangers and FCSB.
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A notable absentee from the weekend draw against Kieran McKenna’s men was defensive weapon Lisandro Martinez.
The Argentine was excluded due to a back injury but has recovered well and returned to first-team training on Wednesday afternoon alongside Harry Maguire.
“Not Harry. Licha is ready,” Amorim stated when probed about player availability for his home debut.
“He didn’t stop [playing] too much time so I feel he is ready. It is a different situation with Harry, we need them both, but they are in a different situation. They are both training, Harry soon will be on the pitch also.”
Unfortunately, the fixture appears to have come too soon for Victor Lindelof and Leny Yoro, with the latter closing in on a highly-anticipated appearance for his new side.
“He is available to train, but we are working on his fitness. This is important,” Amorim said.
“He is a young guy – this is a massive club. It’s very important the first image, so we will try to put it together because he’s a great talent.
“We believe a lot in him and we are trying to prepare the best way to start with Leny.”
Veteran defender Jonny Evans was missing from Wednesday’s preparations, but Luke Shaw featured prominently following his return to first-team action against the Tractor Boys.
Furthermore, Kobbie Mainoo and Tyrell Malacia are in line for selection following stints as unused substitutes at the weekend.
The fixture will be the first in European competition, with the Norwegian’s only previous encounter with English opponents coming against Arsenal in 2022-23.
Bruno Fernandes is expected to lead the team and carries an imperious record of 11 goal involvements from 13 Europa League outings.
Furthermore, since losing their first two home fixtures in the competition 14 years ago, United retains an impressive home record of 19 wins and six draws from 26 games at Old Trafford.
Keep an eye on Patrick Berg for the visitors. The midfielder leads the competition with 22 tackles and 12 interceptions, with officials previously monitoring his progress as one of several potential acquisitions in the North West.
Will Manchester United make it two wins from two in Europe, or will Bodo/Glimt spoil Ruben Amorim’s big day?
Let us know in the comments or across our social channels.
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