Manchester United could be without Amad for several weeks after the winger suffered an injury in training, with early scans suggesting he may face a layoff of up to six weeks.
The Ivorian was not part of Michael Carrick’s squad for Saturday’s trip to Hull City. That was a surprise given how regularly he featured during United’s pre-season preparations.
Further tests are still expected before the final recovery time can be ascertained but initial results suggest Amad won’t be available for a considerable time. He is set to miss Manchester United’s fixtures well into September.
United’s first game of the season ended in a 2-0 defeat at Hull, with the Reds struggling to create enough in the final third. Manchester United conceded two goals from the set pieces to give Hull City their first win in the Premier League.
Amad’s absence meant United played with Mbuemo and Matheus Cunha. The combination couldn’t make an impact together, and United never found the attacking rhythm needed to change the game.
Another problem for Carrick
Amad had been one of the more encouraging players during United’s build-up to the new season, making his latest setback an unwelcome development.
The 22-year-old’s ability to play from the right gives Carrick another option in a forward line that already has plenty of competition. Losing him for six weeks would remove some of that flexibility at a time when United are still working out their best attacking combinations as Marcus Rashford also makes a return.
Mbeumo can also play on the right, while Cunha and Rashford and Benjamin Sesko give Carrick different ways of setting up his attack.
But after what happened at Hull, another long-term injury is hardly what United needed.
The club are still waiting for the full medical picture, so the six-week timeframe should be treated as an early estimate rather than a confirmed return date.
For now, though, the signs aren’t encouraging. And with United already needing to respond to their opening-day defeat, Carrick could have another selection headache on his hands.
