Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has not ruled out Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee leaving in January to further their World Cup ambitions – but says the interests of his club will come first.
Neither player has started a Premier League game this season. Zirkzee has figured for just 82 minutes in the top flight, while Mainoo has played for 93 minutes since coming on at half-time against Burnley on 30 August.
Both players are known to be unhappy about the situation and – having lost their international spots with England and the Netherlands respectively – are keen to secure January moves to get regular game time before next summer’s World Cup.
Amorim sympathises with the pair, but says he will only sanction moves if they are right for United.
“I was a football player,” he said. “I understand everything, and I want to help my players in every situation.
“I understand the frustration of some players, seeing the World Cup is there. I know what it means.
“But the first thing is that the club comes first. If I can help the club and the players, I will be happy. If not I have to think about the team.”
Both Mainoo and Zirkzee could profit from the injury to striker Benjamin Sesko and the departures of Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo to the Africa Cup of Nations next month.
That is without the strange case of Matheus Cunha, who pulled out of a planned appearance to switch on the Altrincham Christmas lights on Saturday with an injury a club source described as “minor”.
United are on a five -game unbeaten run heading into Monday’s game against Everton at Old Trafford.
But United’s two most recent games were draws at Nottingham Forest and Tottenham that required late equalisers after Amorim’s side had squandered first-half leads.
For that reason, the former Sporting boss is reluctant to say the “storm” he predicted in his early days at the club has passed.
“I don’t like to say the storm is over,” he said. “It’s my job, especially in our club, to always have that feeling [that a storm is coming].
“It gives me the sense of urgency in every training [session] and, in the Premier League, everything can change so fast because all the teams can win any game.”