Bruno Fernandes one of six Manchester United players missing from training ahead of Liverpool clash
Manchester United were missing several key first-team players from training today as they gear up for Sunday’s trip to Anfield.
Liverpool will host their fierce rivals in both clubs’ first match after the October international break. For the Premier League champions, only Alisson Becker and Giovanni Leoni are confirmed injury absentees (via Premier Injuries). There had been concerns over Ryan Gravenberch and Ibrahima Konaté during international duty, but those issues appear to have been precautionary, and both are expected to be available this weekend.
Who missed Man United training today?
According to George Flood of The Standard, six familiar faces were absent from Manchester United’s session at Carrington: Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo, Matheus Cunha, Casemiro, Noussair Mazraoui, and Lisandro Martínez.
The first four were granted extended rest after representing their national teams as recently as Tuesday. Mazraoui, meanwhile, joined Morocco’s squad earlier this month but didn’t feature due to a minor injury, while Martínez’s recovery from an ACL problem could see him return later this month against Brighton.
Although Fernandes, Amad, Casemiro, and Cunha missed training, their absence was reportedly due to their late return from international commitments, and all could still be available for selection at Anfield. The fitness of Mazraoui and Martínez, however, remains uncertain.
On the whole, it appears Ruben Amorim, like Arne Slot, will have close to a full squad to choose from.
United have drawn their last two visits to Anfield despite sitting well below Liverpool in the table on both occasions, and the champions will be eager to avoid a repeat. Meanwhile, Liverpool will have their own motivation to bounce back, having suffered three consecutive defeats before the international break. If Arsenal beat Fulham on Saturday, the Reds could find themselves four points behind the league leaders, adding extra urgency to Sunday’s clash.
Regardless of United’s lineup, Arne Slot’s men will be determined to prove that their recent slump was only temporary rather than the start of a longer decline.