Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has ruled Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo out of the Boxing Day clash with Newcastle.
Mainoo missed last weekend's game against Aston Villa with a calf issue, while Fernandes was forced off at half-time of the 2-1 loss at Villa Park after picking up a soft-tissue problem in the first half.
Amorim had suggested previously that both were likely to be out for the Newcastle match and, despite confirming that belief, he doesn't expect either midfielder to be out for long.
“No, not for this game,”
the boss said in the first part of his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon, when asked if Fernandes and Mainoo would be available.
“They are recovering. I don't think that it is going to take a lot of time. Kobbie is going to return faster than Bruno.
”I don't want to say [how long Bruno will be out],“ he added, when pushed on our captain. ”I have an idea of course, but let's see.“
Ruben was also asked in the media briefing about centre-backs Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire, who have both been sidelined with injuries in recent weeks.
“We are still working with them, they are not available for this one. Let's see for the next one,”
he added.
Casemiro will be back from suspension for United, while Amad, Noussair Mazraoui and Bryan Mbeumo remain away representing their countries at the Africa Cup of Nations.
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Tino Livramento and Sven Botman are making progress but look likely to miss out, along with Dan Burn, Kieran Trippier, Emil Krafth and Jamaal Lascelles.