Viktoria Plzen presents the latest test for Ruben Amorim and his Manchester United side as matchday six of the Europa League takes the Premier League outfit to the Czech Republic.
Back-to-back defeats have soured an optimistic start for the Portuguese tactician, with a 13th-place domestic standing reflecting a traumatic period for the one-time European juggernaut.
Ironically, a solitary goal separates the two sides in the new-look Europa format. Both are undefeated from five outings and could climb as high as fourth pending results elsewhere.
United made the trip with six points from their previous two continental fixtures, scoring five and conceding two, having endured a winless European spell for over twelve months.
As always, a partisan contingent of Reds have travelled to support their underwhelming side in the hope that victory can build the necessary momentum ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby.
Team News
Tyrell Malacia will get another opportunity to impress as he continues to build fitness following his lengthy layoff.
The Dutchman will feature from the start, having partnered with his head coach during yesterday’s pre-match press conference.
Promisingly, from a squad perspective, Luke Shaw and Jonny Evans were the only omissions from the 24-man travelling group.
“Just Jonny Evans is recovering,” Amorim told media in Plzen.
“I think the rest of the guys are ready to play. That is a good sign. All of our staff did a great job [in] recovering the players.
“We are, in this moment, managing the load. They are getting fitter, and we get stronger with that. It was good to train with all the guys. We don’t have time, but we have a lot of players to choose.
“That is an important thing for winning games.”
Although the current Europa League campaign has underwhelmed, United hope to match the heroics of the 2013-14 Champions League run by remaining undefeated in their opening six fixtures.
But continental football can surprise at the best of times, and the Old Trafford side are without a win on Czech soil in three previous attempts (two draws, one loss).
Ramsus Hojlund could prove instrumental in bolstering his side’s attacking presence as he aims to enter the Manchester history books.
One more major European goal would see him join Wayne Rooney and Marcus Rashford on a total of nine at the age of 21 or younger for the 20-time English champions.
A message from the boss
Manchester United have some of the most dedicated supporters in the game, with avid Reds happy to follow their team around the globe.
Amorim recognised their endless commitment and took the time to acknowledge the supporters and send a message to everyone in attendance.
“They are the key, the key for everything,” the Portuguese chief told MUTV.
“In this context, they have a lot of supporters with the storm, and it feels [like a] full stadium.
“In this moment, it’s like it’s a different club, and you have to respond to that. We have a great responsibility in this club. We will improve this team, I’m sure of that.
“We want to win for them, for them to fly home happy. Some of the fans are from here – we have fans all around the world. So, we just want to win for them.”
Action is fixed to get underway at the earlier time of 5:45 PM BST, with Doosan Arena braced for a memorable European evening.
How are you feeling ahead of the Reds trip to face Viktoria Plzen? Let us know in the comments or across our social channels.
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