Ruben Amorim has joked that Bruno Fernandes may be after his job as he revealed that the injured Manchester United captain is itching to return to training this week.
Although Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs De Ligt and Harry Maguire have been ruled out of Tuesday’s game against Wolves at Old Trafford, Amorim said that Mainoo is set to rejoin the first-team group ahead of this weekend’s clash with Leeds at Elland Road and Fernandes is pushing to get back on the grass as well.
The United skipper was initially ruled out for around a month after limping out of the defeat at Aston Villa a week ago before it emerged that he could be back even sooner.
Fernandes has kept himself busy around Carrington during his rehab, watching training and giving his teammates advice after his treatment sessions.
‘Bruno was already saying that he needs to train, but we don't know,’ said Amorim. ‘No chance he is going to play against Wolves – no chance.
‘He cannot be that guy that (if he) is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always speaking, that's why he's the captain.
‘He has (does) bad things sometimes, the way he moves his arms, but he has a lot of good things and he's always living the game. The practice, every time he takes part in a recovery session after the game, he is the guy that is going to watch the other guys training on that day.
‘So there is a lot of things that you guys don't see but that he does. He's a great leader all the time. He's the guy that is watching training even after treatment. He's going there. I don't know if he wants my job or not, but the guy is a leader!’
Giving an injury update ahead of United’s second meeting with bottom-of-the-table Wolves in the space of three weeks, Amorim said the only player who might recover in time is Mason Mount, who went off at half-time in the Boxing Day win over Newcastle.
‘I don't know how Mase is going to be for that game,’ added the United boss. ‘I think Kobbie Mainoo is not going to be ready. Bruno is not going to be ready. I think Matta (De Ligt) is not going to be ready. Harry is not going to be ready. So, I think we are not going to have more players.
‘Kobbie is going to start on the pitch, so we will see. Matthijs is struggling a little bit. Harry the same thing, so I don't expect to have the players for this game. For the other (Leeds) game, I don't know.’