It has been the story of Manchester United in recent seasons, with Ruben Amorim having been dealt a similar hand to his predecessor, Erik ten Hag, with regard to injuries.
Upon arriving at Old Trafford, for instance, the Portuguese coach singled out Mason Mount as a player who he was particularly looking forward to working with, praising the Englishman as a “proper footballer”. As fate would have it, the former Chelsea man was forced off just minutes into December’s Manchester Derby.
Only last month, after registering 11 goals and assists in just 20 games under the new regime, it was revealed that Amad Diallo would most likely be out for the season with an ankle ligament injury, with that setback following on from having not signed a new forward player in January.
Setbacks have continued since then, with Harry Maguire having notably been absent since the FA Cup clash with Fulham, although the latest cruel blow came in Sunday’s comfortable 3-0 win away at Leicester City, with teen sensation, Ayden Heaven, forced off early in the second half.
The latest on Ayden Heaven’s injury
Having signed somewhat under the radar back in January, the ex-Arsenal starlet was surprisingly announced as a first-team signing upon his arrival in Manchester, despite having only made a solitary, ten-minute cameo for his former side at senior level.
Eyebrows were raised by the decision to parachute the 18-year-old straight into Amorim’s ranks, although that move has swiftly been vindicated, with Heaven’s £1.5m acquisition already representing a real bargain.
Having put in solid displays off the bench against both Fulham and the Gunners, the teenager subsequently sparkled on his first start for United against Real Sociedad in the Europa League, with journalist Samuel Luckhurst noting that he ‘looked a veteran’ up against the Basque side.
The youngster also started in commanding fashion against the Foxes, having produced a particularly vital tackle on Patson Daka in the first half, albeit before going down inside his own area after tangling with that man Daka just after the break.
The England youth international immediately signalled his discomfort to the United bench, before being stretchered off on the 51st minute mark, with academy graduate Toby Collyer entering the fray in his place.
The full extent of the injury has yet to be revealed, although there were encouraging signs amid reports that Heaven was able to walk after the game, albeit with his foot in a brace.
Whatever the case, it sadly looks unlikely that the teen revelation will be featuring again any time soon, leaving Amorim with a decision to make over how to replace him.
The Obvious Options
Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Noussair Mazraoui
Provided they can return from their own injury woes following the international break, the likely decision would be to re-introduce Leny Yoro and the aforementioned Maguire into the centre of defence, alongside potential future captain, Matthijs de Ligt.
The Red Devils do also have Victor Lindelof – who started against Leicester – to call upon, although the long-serving Swede looked shaky on Sunday, notably getting involved with what could have been a potentially costly mix-up with Andre Onana at one stage.
Amorim could also replicate the plan that he implemented at the weekend, amid the loss of Heaven, with summer signing Noussair Mazraoui comfortably slotting into a centre-back role, having started the evening at right wing-back.
That could well be the ideal solution considering Patrick Dorgu can now return from his three-game suspension, ensuring the young Dane can slot in at left-wing back, with Diogo Dalot on the opposite side.
That said, Mazraoui – who teed up Bruno Fernandes for a late chance against the Gunners – was excellent in that 1-1 draw at Old Trafford two weeks ago, when operating as a wing-back, ensuring it could instead be a straight fight between the Moroccan and Dalot on that right flank.
The Tactical Tweak
Casemiro
It might be a bizarre pick, yet with Manuel Ugarte having made his return from injury at the weekend, it could be worth experimenting with Casemiro as part of the back three.
The veteran Brazilian has enjoyed a positive few weeks amid his encouraging displays in both legs against Sociedad, and in the draw with Mikel Arteta’s side, with Amorim revealing that he is now “learning how to use” the 33-year-old in his 3-4-3 set-up.
With the mobility of midfield “machine” Ugarte – as hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig – likely to be favoured moving forward, however, alongside Fernandes, Casemiro could put his ball-winning abilities to good use in the defensive trio instead.
The former Real Madrid man did lineup at centre-back under Ten Hag last season, amid the club’s injury crisis, with his aerial presence a real asset in both boxes, as shown by the fact that he has won 67% of his aerial duels in the Premier League this season.
One key issue with making that switch would be Casemiro’s lack of recovery pace, however, with pundit Jamie Carragher stating last year that it looks as if the midfielder’s “legs have gone”.
The Wildcard Pick
Godwill Kukonki
Even after seeing Heaven withdrawn, Amorim did not hesitate to introduce further teenage talents against Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side, with Chido Obi and debutant Harry Amass entering the fray late on.
The former Sporting CP boss admitted he has “so much fun” with regard to unleashing young prospects, with there a case to be made for replacing Heaven with another shining starlet, in the form of Godwill Kukonki.
The 6 foot 5 titan – who only recently turned 17 – has already made his way into the matchday squad this season under Amorim, albeit having, understandably, been made to wait for a first-team bow.
With Heaven now sidelined, it could well be the perfect time for the academy sensation to finally get his chance, with analyst Ben Mattinson previously earmarking Kukonki as a perfect fit for that left centre-back berth, while describing the teenager as a “dominant” and “commanding” presence despite his youth.
Amorim already stated back in December that the then 16-year-old was “ready” to be called into action as “he’s very adult to handle the demands of the Premier League”, a positive sign amid the left-footer’s chance of earning some game time.
The England youth international has made 18 appearances this season at both centre-back and left-back, chipping in with one goal and three assists in that time, albeit having been restricted to just a solitary U21 appearance thus far.
Despite still largely operating for the U18s, Amorim evidently feels Kukonki is ready for life at senior level, with the unfortunate loss of Heaven ensuring it could now be his turn to impress.
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