United News | Manager press conference before Sunderland

Head coach Ruben Amorim provided an update on the eve of the clash with Sunderland.

This includes team news and wider thoughts about the reaction to criticism since the Brentford defeat.

Author | Josh T

Who’s in and who’s out against Sunderland?

Casemiro is back after the Brazil international served his one-game ban, for the red card against Chelsea during the defeat at Brentford.

Amad missed the trip south last weekend, following a family bereavement, but is available again after training at Carrington this week.

Lisandro Martinez remains out, while Noussair Mazraoui is not expected to return until after the upcoming international break, with a trip to Liverpool next on the agenda.

READ MORE | United Preview | Sunderland at home

READ MORE | United Discussion | Why Casemiro might be key against Sunderland

Tyrell Malacia, who has not featured for the Reds since last January, trained with the first-team group this week.

In response to criticism from United legends...

Since the defeat to Brentford, a number of former players have criticised the manager and his tactics. Record United goalscorer Wayne Rooney said: "This is not Man United. I don’t recognise the whole football club."

Gary Neville was also critical. He joined Rebecca Lowe on NBC Sports which you can watch in the video below.

Amorim issued the following thoughts: "It’s normal. You cannot run away from the results. And then you have the baggage from last season, but last season, for me, doesn’t matter. In relation to this season, we already spoke about that. We’ve had six games this season and we lost three, and then we have to look to the games that we lost, if you lost against Arsenal because of the system? 

“It’s your job to make the opinion. When you look at the game against City, was the first thing you think, when the game starts, the system? I think you don’t think about the system in that moment. And Brentford? I don’t look at the way we concede goals, the way we create chances. There is nothing to do with the system. That is my opinion. And I’m not saying that this team would play better in a different system or not, that is not my point. My point is that if I look at the games that we didn’t win, the most important thing when I watch the game is not that we lost the game because of the system. That is my opinion. Then people have different opinions and that is okay."

When discussing how the fans have supported him and how to make them believe again, he added...

"It’s not time to say. It’s time to show. Again, I can look at the games this year and, for me, they are completely different. There are some things that are the same and that is nothing about the position on the pitch, the way we put the ball [in], it’s other things that we cannot change. We show that thing in certain games. In the other games, we are not the same team in some details. I have nothing to say in this moment. My job is to prepare the team and let’s go for the next game."