Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim ruled defender Noussair Mazraoui out of the club’s upcoming Premier League clash at Brentford FC on Sunday. Mazraoui is not injured, but Amorim is taking this step in order to prevent any possible injury. Mazraoui is one of several United players in potential danger of being “overcooked,” so to speak, as they have been logging major minutes.
Sitting Mazraoui for the weekend fixture, one that ultimately means nothing in the grand scheme of things, makes sense. Save him for the UEL and the chance at a trophy.
Manchester United vs Brentford FC FYIs
Kick: Sun, May 4, 2pm, GTech Community Stadium, London, UK
PL Form, Standing: Man United LDLLD 14th, 39 pts Brentford FC LDDWW 11th 49 pts
Result Probability: Man United 20% Brentford FC 57% Draw 23%
“In this moment, it is hard [juggling between the Europa League and Premier League],” Amorim said. “It is hard to separate. We know that we always have a responsibility but in this moment we have to take a risk.”
“There are some positions that we don’t have more players. For example, Noussa Mazraoui, he cannot play. He is in the limit to get an injury. We are going to deal with that and prepare a game against a team that they want to be in the great moment.”
“We have always a responsibility to perform. We have always responsible for the result. But in this moment we have to be clear. Our focus is more on saving players and trying to be competitive. It is not a good thing to say but we need to understand the context.”
“The first thing is that the players that are at risk to get injured will not play, no matter what. We need to take a risk in that. And then we are going to assess tomorrow and the next day who are the best players to start the game.
“Then we have to be careful because we are Manchester United and we cannot go to a game without thinking we can win this game. So the process is going to be like that, it is going to be tough. But we passed so many things this year, this one more. Let’s see.”
Man United Team News
No real major changes here- Diogo Dalot, Joshua Zirkzee and Lisandro Martinez are done for the season while Tobias Collyer and Ayden Heaven are still a week or two away. Amad Diallo returned against Athletic Club, but we won’t see him here. He still needs to be eased back into full action, and there is no sense in risking him here.
You’ll see a few other main stars and first teamers rested here.
Starting XI Prediction vs Brentford FC
Andre Onana; Tyler Fredricson, Matthijs De Ligt, Luke Shaw; Jaydan Dejon Kamason, Manuel Ugarte, Christian Eriksen, Harry Amass; Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount; Chido Obi
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter