Ruben Amorim is considering recalling Manuel Ugarte to the starting XI for Manchester United’s trip to Liverpool this weekend.
United have a relatively clean bill of health for their trip to Merseyside with Lisandro Martinez their only notable absentee.
Players returned to training at Carrington on Thursday after the international break but four were absent after being granted an extra day of rest after their travels.
Among them was Casemiro, recalled to the Brazil team by Carlo Ancelotti in the summer. The 33-year-old racked up the air miles during the break, travelling to South Korea and Japan for friendly matches, playing the full 90 minutes in both of them.
Ugarte meanwhile was not included in what was an experimental Uruguay squad for friendlies against Dominican Republic and Uzbekistan in Malaysia.
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Back in September, Amorim opted to name Ugarte in his starting XI for the first game back following the international break against Manchester City, resting Casemiro after his international break excursions.
The Sun report Amorim could make the same move this weekend when his side head to Anfield.
Ugarte, who joined United in a £52million deal in the summer of 2024, has started just three matches this season, all ending in defeat.
The former Paris Saint-Germain star was replaced at half-time in the humiliating Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town before United lost to City in the derby in mid-September.
He returned to the starting XI against Brentford with Casemiro serving a suspension that day, replaced after 66 minutes.
Ugarte has been persistently preferred off the bench by Amorim ahead of Kobbie Mainoo, who is still to start a Premier League game this season – a situation that will likely continue this weekend.
The midfield combination of Bruno Fernandes and Ugarte which could start against Liverpool will be the same duo overrun at City in September with former United captain Gary Neville identifying it as a ‘massive problem’ after that 3-0 defeat at the Etihad.
‘The midfield is a massive problem, and we’ve known that,’ Neville said.
‘United fans know that. Ugarte and Fernandes today, I think you mentioned it early, about an hour before the game, that Ugarte and Fernandes played in this fixture last year from start to finish, and United won the game, but Ugarte is not good enough.’
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