The disappointment of a second consecutive home defeat against Bournemouth is now a memory for Manchester United as Ruben Amorim prepares for a Christmas trip to Wolves.
Generally speaking, Molineux has proved a happy hunting ground for the Reds in recent years.
In the greatest of fashion, Kobbie Mainoo stole the headlines during the previous outing, with a spectacular solo run and strike sealing three points in the 97th minute for Erik ten Hag.
Five places and ten points separate the domestic rivals before kickoff, with Vitor Pereira appointed head coach of the Old Gold less than a week ago.
Disregarding form, the Premier League is a bizarre beast, and this fixture begins a potentially troublesome schedule for the Old Trafford outfit, with Newcastle, Liverpool and Arsenal all to come.
Three points could lift the Reds as far as ninth and within touching distance of a European position. But defeat could see the 20-time English champions slump to an astonishing 14th.
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Matthijs de Ligt was a notable absentee over the past two outings, with illness ruling the Dutch international out of first-team selection.
Additionally, ample focus has been placed on the number of alterations made to the starting XI with each passing game. But Amorim has moved to supply reasoning ahead of the trip to the West Midlands.
“In this moment, it’s not rotation to see the players and prepare the future,” he told the ever-curious media. “It’s simply to not have injuries. Matthijs is sick. Harry Maguire did 90 minutes against [Manchester] City and cannot play three days before because, in three months, he only did 90 minutes one time against City.
“So we have to rotate him during the week, and today [Sunday] he is playing. Kobbie Mainoo played, he returned from injury, so I have to think if he’s ready to cope with both games so, sometimes, I have to play two games at the same moment. Rasmus [Hojlund] played two games, the third game today [Sunday], and I think we needed fresh legs.
“So we are trying to address everything. I just want to win games because I know that there’s a long-term project, and we are focused on that. But I also know that in big clubs you don’t have a lot of time and you have to win games. So I have a clear idea of the responsibility I have here, but I’m trying to manage this team to not have injuries.
“If we have injuries, it’s a massive problem in trying to win games and manage all the players, so I’m not rotating to see the future. I just want to win games and not have injuries. If we have injuries, it’s a big problem.”
Inevitably, the topic of Marcus Rashford continues to rear its head, as the Wythenshawe attacker’s absence creates ample speculation surrounding his future in the North West.
“It is a hard situation,” Amorim told Sky Sports.
“I understand that these players have a lot of people around them, making choices that are not the first idea from the player. I am always here to help Marcus, as another player. I have to do what I have to do.
“They chose to do the interview, as it is not just Marcus. I understand that. As a coach, I focus on performance and the way you train. The rest, it is better for me and the club to deal with that when the time comes.
“At the moment, I focus on improving Marcus and we need a talented guy like Marcus. I forget the interview now, and see what I see on the pitch.”
Frustratingly, the trio of Mason Mount, Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof remain sidelined through injury.
As touched on above, United have generally enjoyed recent meetings against Wolves.
Rashford and Co have collected seven wins from the previous eight fixtures between the sides, with a solitary defeat coming at Old Trafford in January 2022.
Additionally, the home side have failed to win any of their previous five clashes on their turf, losing four and drawing one to an expectant Manchester unit.
The festive fixture highlights a remarkable track record of positivity for United, with more goals (202) and wins (54) than any other side in English top-flight history.
Promisingly, there has only been one occasion in the previous 30 games where the team in red failed to register a goal on boxing day (Stephens Day for the Irish Reds).
How are you feeling about the latest installation of Manchester United on the road to Wolves?
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Merry Christmas to you all!
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