MANCHESTER UNITED
Why is Sofyan Amrabat not playing for Manchester United? Champions League team news
Erik ten Hag’s side are without Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Mason Mount for the trip to Bayern Munich.
Manchester United travel to Bayern Munich for their Champions League group stage opener with a severely depleted squad.
Head coach Erik ten Hag has confirmed that summer signing Sofyan Amrabat is still not fit enough to make his debut for the club. He is still training away from the first team squad as he continues his recovery from injury.
Amrabat’s arrival was supposed to add steel to United’s midfield and offer greater protection for Casemiro in the middle of the pitch. However the Tunisian has not yet made a single appearance and the Red Devils have been overrun in the midfielder numerous times already.
The midfield trio of Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen were overrun in a 3-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion and start against against Bayern.
Why isn’t Raphael Varane playing for Manchester United?
Amrabat’s continued absence is not the only selection issue facing Ten Hag. Former Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane is also out of contention as he recovers from injury.
He and midfielder Mason Mount have both returned to training this week but neither was fit enough to be named in Manchester United’s squad to take on the German champions.
Maguire and Wan-Bissaka out for Manchester United
United’s woes worsened earlier this week when defenders Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire were also omitted from the Champions League matchday squad. Wan-Bissaka picked up an injury in the loss against Brighton and is expected to be out for several weeks.
Meanwhile Maguire suffered a “complaint” in United training in recent days and has not travelled to Munich.
“He had some complaints and we have to see how bad it is,” Ten Hag explained. “He finished training but it was not good enough to travel.”
These latest defensive losses leave the United boss with few options when it comes to selecting his backline against Bayern.
Diogo Dalot and Sergio Reguilon are the only two senior full-backs in contention, while Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof look set to start as the central pairing.
Manchester United lineup vs Bayern Munich
With so many injuries issues at Old Trafford, Ten Hag has few options for the starting XI to face Bayern Munich. Here is the Man Utd team for Wednesday’s Champions League group stage clash...
(4-3-3): Onana - Reguilon, Lindelof, Martinez, Dalot - Casemiro, Eriksen, Fernandes - Pellistri, Hojlund, Rashford