Manchester United

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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Diogo Dalot's calf injury presents Ruben Amorim with a massive problem.

The Portugal international has missed one game this season, when he was suspended against Southampton in January.

He has occupied both wing-back slots since Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag in November and become more of an attacking threat as the season has gone on.

Now United face being without him for the final key weeks of the campaign - and there is a question over how Amorim will replace him.

The safe option would be to use Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui as wing backs. However, that creates a problem in Amorim's three-man defensive formation, given Ayden Heaven and Matthijs de Ligt are not fit and Luke Shaw is easing himself back after long-term injury.

The other obvious move would be to name teenager Harry Amass on the left and Dorgu on the right, with Mazraoui remaining in one of the central positions. That places a huge responsibility on Amass, who has started only two Premier League.

Amad Diallo has played at wing-back - and is closing in on his own return to fitness after being out since February with an ankle injury.

But surely giving the Ivory Coast wideman such a key role would be a massive risk.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game at Bournemouth (kick-off 14:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Diogo Dalot could miss the rest of the season with a calf injury, with Amorim confirming he will definitely not be involved in the "next games".

• Matthijs de Ligt and Amad Diallo are close to returning but Ayden Heaven is further behind in the rehabilitation process.

• He said "it's important to not lose" on Sunday because "we need to have the feeling that every game here is important and we have to win every game".

• He acknowledged "the context" of focusing on next week's Europa League semi-final, but added: "We are going to face this game with the best team. I will try to prepare for this game and try to win the next one."

• On the possibility of Marcus Rashford returning in the summer: "All the players that are on loan will return and then the club will decide what to do at the end of the season. Rashford and Antony - they have the talent and have to put it on the team. The best thing for us is for them to perform, and they are performing."

• He said players can change his mind and referenced Casemiro because "he wasn't playing and then you see the in last games that he's having a part, he's performing quite well and he's playing all the time".

• On whether United still have the same pull to attract players this summer: "There are a lot of players that want to play for our club. In this moment, with all the problems, it looks a little bit of a problem - but we have a clear idea and that's the easiest part to explain to a player. It's Manchester United and every player wants to play for Manchester United."

• He refused to answer questions specifically related to United's interest in Wolves forward Matheus Cunha but said he had "an idea" of what he wants his squad to look like next season.

• He said "we need to be critical, no matter what happens" this season in terms of silverware because of being near the bottom of the Premier League table.

Listen to live commentary of Bournemouth vs Manchester United on BBC Radio 5 Live at 14:00 on Sunday

Follow all of Friday's Premier League and FA Cup news conferences, plus the rest of the day's football news

Manchester United could offer Denmark striker Rasmus Hojlund, 22, to Atalanta in exchange for Nigeria forward Ademola Lookman, 27. (Sun - subscription required, external)

Wolves forward Matheus Cunha, 25, is willing to join Manchester United, who are determined to finalise a deal for the Brazilian this summer. (Sky Germany, external)

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford, 27, on a permanent basis this summer. (Football Transfers, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

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BBC's chief football news reporter Simon Stone has been discussing the uncertainty around Marcus Rashford's future on the World Football podcast:

"It felt like when Rashford went to Aston Villa that there was no way back and I think nothing that's happened since then gives any indication that the situation has changed.

"Manchester United want clarity because Ruben Amorim needs to know how much money he is going to get. Qualifying for the Champions League is going to have a big impact on that.

"Rashford is on a huge amount of money, far more really than anyone else apart from Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro. When he went to Aston Villa, United agreed to pay part of his salary. The difficulty is how do you do a deal like that early in the summer.

"I don't think either Rashford or the people around Rashford are wanting to get involved in a swap-deal scenario at all. They are massively complicated.

"I suspect it is going to be one of those deals that is not done until far nearer the start of the season, if not the transfer window deadline.

"United cannot think that they're going to drive this situation, and I don't get the impression that Rashford is in any big rush to make a decision."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Manchester United are battling Chelsea and Real Madrid for the signature of River Plate's 17-year-old Argentine midfielder Franco Mastantuono, who has a release clause of £38m. (Mail), external

Meanwhile, United will face stiff competition to sign 25-year-old Brazil international Matheus Cunha, with Aston Villa and Arsenal among five Premier League clubs interested in the Wolves forward. (Sky Sports), external

Want more transfer news? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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With the uncertainty around Marcus Rashford continuing to grow, questions are being asked about what's next for the Manchester United forward, who is on loan at Aston Villa.

Rashford feels it is unlikely he will play for United again under Ruben Amorim, but will not be rushed into making a decision about his future.

So will he leave his boyhood club? Could he stay at Villa beyond his loan spell? Or could a move abroad be on the cards?

BBC Sport's chief football news reporter Simon Stone joined World Football's Maz Farookhi to discuss what Rashford's next move could be.

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

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In light of the latest Simon Stone article on Marcus Rashford's future, we asked for your views on where the forward will be playing next season.

Here are some of your comments:

Anton: As a Manchester United and huge Rashford fan, I do now feel a move away would suit everyone. I don't feel it was just the manager at United because Rashford hasn't looked happy for a while. We've been spoiled by the Class of 92 where so many spent pretty much their whole careers at the club. It's not normal anywhere else and he's thriving in a different environment. He's 27 so he will hope to be coming into his prime. I think going abroad would be great for him and he'll always be loved at United.

David: I cannot see any way back for Rashford. A suitable destination for him would be Bayern Munich. There are two England team-mates there so he would settle in quickly and they challenge for all the big trophies.

Sheldon: Rashford will play for United again under a new manager, as I think Ruben Amorim will be sacked in the not too distant future.

Christine: Rashford is not good enough to play at Manchester United in an Amorim system - too lazy and too much trouble. United already have a squad that is not good enough so to return Rashford to the mix would be going backwards. There are also other players who are either not good enough or who do not have the right mentality to play. United are slowly but surely changing the culture and Rashford dose not fit that mentality.

Harvey: We definitely need Rashford back - with or without Amorim. The club should be ashamed to have let him go. He is a world-class player on a different level to the forwards we have.

David: Rashford would be a great addition for Arsenal. He has proven the quality of player he can be. No player looks good at United in their current climate and Arsenal need to bolster their front three. Rashford's ceiling is higher than Arsenal's current players in the left-wing position. Arsenal could use him as a striker too. Will he press and track back though? That is the only problem.

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Marcus Rashford feels it is unlikely he will play for Manchester United again under Ruben Amorim, but will not be rushed into making a decision about his future.

The striker's loan deal at Villa Park expires at the end of the season.

Rashford has ruled out the possibility of moving to London, and ideally would join a club that has qualified for the Champions League.

Sources close to the player are adamant Rashford is yet to have talks about his future and is not planning to do so until the middle of June.

So where do you think Rashford's future lies?

Would you take him back?

Or is it time to move on?

Have your say here

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BBC Radio Manchester's Gaz Drinkwater and Joe McGrath have been discussing whether Ruben Amorim will rest players before Manchester United's Europa League semi-final against Athletic Bilbao.

The competition is the club's last shot at securing European football for next season, given they have been knocked out of the FA Cup and are currently 14th in the Premier League.

Speaking on The Devils' Advocate podcast, Drinkwater said: "Athletic Bilbao are going to be so tough to play against.

"One thing we can say is that we should have fresh players. Ruben Amorim is not going to play a full-strength team in the Premier League - because why would he?"

However, McGrath does not believe that is the correct way to approach the game, saying: "I understand resting players for the Europa League, but we don't play [Bilbao] until 1 May. That is a long time to wait.

"I think he would be risking it all for the Europa League if he does that - and if it doesn't come off, he is risking his legacy."

Drinkwater responded: "He isn't going to rest the players that are going to be playing in the semi-final every week between now and then. There is still going to be the odd one playing here and there just to keep them match fit.

"Ruben Amorim's legacy at this club will be lifting that Europa League trophy at the end of this season and taking Manchester United into the Champions League next season."

Listen to the full podcast on BBC Sounds

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BBC Sport chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions as we approach the final handful of games.

Nick asked: Hi Phil, do you think Wolves look better without Matheus Cunha and do you think he is showing he lacks the mentals by claiming he wants to win titles while looking likely to join a mess that is Manchester United?

Phil replied: Hello, Nick. Having seen a bit of Wolves recently, I do think their form bodes well for next season. Vitor Pereira has done a top-class job but it is now about recruitment in the summer. There are some really talented players there to build on.

I think Wolves would miss a player of Cunha's class but they will get a fee of £62.5m if he goes, so then it will give them a chance to work smartly in the markets.

There has been a lot of noise around Cunha and I expect him to go.

Whether he ends up at Old Trafford remains to be seen but, strange as it might sound after this season, Manchester United will always hold a special appeal for players.

Alan asked: Phil, given what we've seen over recent years why would a top player like Cunha - rumoured to be going to Old Trafford - even think about joining Man Utd where form dips as soon as they put on the shirt?

Phil replied: Hello, Alan. Whatever you may or may not think about Manchester United, they are a huge club with great attraction for most players.

Of course, it also depends which other clubs show an interest in Matheus Cunha, but he clearly wants to test himself at the very top judging by the noises this season.

I would have thought Arsenal might show an interest, but he is a high-class player and I can still see why Manchester United appeal.

And he will back himself to buck the trend and succeed.

Manchester United have made Napoli's 26-year-old Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, currently on loan at Galatasaray, their top striking transfer target this summer. (Mirror, external)

United also plan to trigger the £30m release clause in the contract of Ipswich's 22-year-old English striker Liam Delap. (Mail - subscription required, external)

Chelsea have joined the race for Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa, 25, and will challenge Manchester United for the signature of the Portugal international. (Teamtalk, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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We asked you which new forwards you would like to see at Old Trafford in the light of Manchester United's interest in Wolves' Matheus Cunha and Ipswich striker Liam Delap.

Here are some of your comments:

Andrew: Please, please, please not Cunha. The man is all ego and no goals.

Noal: Harry Kane would be a sensible choice given he is a proven goalscorer. He is that bit older but still has a predator's instinct and can take his chances. Benjamin Sesko would be a good back-up striker.

Mark: Ideally I'd rather us sign Victor Osimhen. We need a prolific goalscorer. I do believe Cunha would fit into the system quite well, though.

Barry: Knowing our luck, one would get injured so I'd get both if we can. We have had the same problem for ages now - we just don't score enough goals.

Amin: An ideal centre-forward signing would be one with experience that guarantees goals. While I admire Delap, I think he would be a similar signing to Rasmus Hojlund if he came to United, which is not what we need right now (unless Hojlund also moves on). Osimhen should be the top target going into the summer alongside more versatile forwards like Bryan Mbeumo and Cunha, especially if Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Antony all move on.

Simon: I think Cunha will go to Arsenal and Manchester United might be lucky to get Delap.

Thomas: We need to give the youth a chance rather than signing new players. We have a great under-18 team and we need to use them.

Ben: Cunha is massively talented but has a problematic attitude, so it would be yet another one on the seemingly endless list of poorly thought through signings for United. Ability alone does not make a top-class player!

Sethuram: Cunha indeed would be an ideal player upgrade to add to our squad. I believe he has got the potential to score goals in tough situations and also individual brilliance. But Cunha alone would not change the situation at Manchester United.

Josh Lobley
BBC Sport Journalist

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Tyler Fredericson became the 254th Manchester United academy player to graduate to first-team action when he made his debut against Wolves on Sunday. In what was quite a forgettable display from the Red Devils, the 20 year-old put in a strong performance and did not look out of place in senior football.

Slotting in on the left of Ruben Amorim's back three, Fredricson helped keep Wolves' dangermen Jorgen Strand Larsen and Matheus Cunha quiet. The pair only managed two shots between them and it was set-piece excellence from Pablo Sarabia which separated the two sides at the final whistle.

Fredericson was not afraid to get stuck in, winning more duels than any other player on the pitch. Impressively, he still managed to commit no fouls on the afternoon and showed a real maturity in his defensive actions.

On the ball he opted to keep it simple, which is perhaps the smart thing to do so early on into your professional career. He only misplaced five of his 69 passes and completed 100% of his long passes, which shows promise for his ball-playing ability in the future.

At the business end of the season, it is clear that Ruben Amorim is prioritising the Europa League over the Premier League, and Fredricson's debut shows that he has a reliable defender in his arsenal to help with squad rotation as his side push for European glory.

The Devils' Advocate team are back with a fresh episode.

This week talk turns to Manchester United beating Lyon over two legs in the Europa League semi-finals and then losing to Wolves in the Premier League.

The team opt to focus on the positives in an episode titled 'We can win the Europa League'.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Alex Turk
Fan writer

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Not a single fan should be judging Ruben Amorim until after his summer transfer business, but that cannot excuse how low Manchester United's standards have slipped.

He will have a target on his back from day one next season.

Amorim deserves time and patience for agreeing to abandoning his self-built empire at Sporting in the middle of another glory-destined season.

He inherited a dark, depressing mess at Old Trafford because he believed he was the right man to turn things around.

That in itself demands respect - as does any young coach willing to accept the hardest job in football.

But on paper, he arrived at United on the fringes of the Champions League spots. Now, with five Premier League games remaining, 17th looks like a real possibility.

Take a moment to process that. Record winners Manchester United could be the Premier League's worst team other than those that suffered relegation.

It is embarrassing, and while Amorim's decision to prioritise the Europa League is the right one, he cannot continue to lose domestic games.

This season's side is the worst in the Premier League era by some distance. The most defeats, most home losses, the lowest points and the lowest position leave that out of the question.

A continued trend will not be accepted next season. Ambitions must be tempered. Expecting United to launch from the depths to the top four is unrealistic.

However, Amorim will understand the pressure he is under to deliver stark improvement. He realistically needs more than one summer to realise his vision, but at this rate, he will not get that.

Fumbling the Europa League after essentially throwing Premier League matches would be one thing. Not proving you can win these games instantly next term is another.

The players, coaches and recruitment team have to deliver from June.

I dread to picture the scenes if they do not.

Find more from Alex Turk at Turk Talks FC, external

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With Manchester United keen on signing Wolves forward Matheus Cunha this summer, we want to know which new forwards you would like to see at Old Trafford next season.

Multiple club sources have told BBC Sport that Brazil international Cunha is among a number of attacking options on United's shortlist, with Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap also of interest.

Cunha is Wolves' top scorer this season, with 16 goals to his name, and plays in a similar system to Ruben Amorim under Molineux boss Vitor Pereira.

But he has also been sent off twice this season, missing six games in total through suspension.

Would Cunha be the ideal signing for United? Or is youngster Delap a better fit? Or perhaps you have someone else in mind who should be on the radar?

Let us know your thoughts

Manchester United are nearing an agreement with 25-year-old Wolves and Brazil striker Matheus Cunha, but they will still need to activate his £62.5m release clause. (Mail), external

United have sent scouts to watch 25-year-old Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa, as they look for a replacement for Andre Onana. Rivals Manchester City are also interested in Costa, who has a release clause of £64.3m (75m euros). (Correio da Manha - in Portuguese), external

The Red Devils have maintained contact with the agent of 21-year-old RB Leipzig and Slovenia striker Benjamin Sesko since he rejected a move to Old Trafford in 2022. (Manchester Evening News), external

United are expecting to receive several loan offers from Championship clubs for full-back Harry Amass this summer. (GiveMeSport), external

Aston Villa are exploring the possibility of selling striker Ollie Watkins for £50-60m and signing Marcus Rashford from Manchester United on a permanent basis. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer news? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Chelsea have guaranteed they will finish above 15th in the Premier League which automatically triggers an obligation to buy winger Jadon Sancho.

The Blues would pay between £20m and £25m to Manchester United for the on-loan attacker after beating Fulham on Sunday afternoon.

However, they have a £5m clause to get out of the deal and senior officials have privately refused to rule out using it to get out of signing Sancho permanently.

The 25 year old has three goals and 10 assists in 34 matches for Chelsea this season.

Manager Enzo Maresca has explained a decision will be made at the end of the season.