Amorim explains Hojlund's bench role for Arsenal blockbuster
Ruben Amorim has clarified his decision to leave Rasmus Hojlund out of the starting lineup for Manchester United's Premier League match against Arsenal on Sunday.
Rasmus Hojlund has been without a goal in the Premier League since mid-December and is currently on a 19-match goal drought, with his last goal coming in a 3-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest.
Amorim explained that the decision was not based on the striker's form, but rather on physical fatigue. "It's about freshness," he said. "He was visibly tired after our previous match, and we wanted to make sure he's fully recovered for future games."
The manager also emphasised that the tactical approach played a role in his choice. "We've studied Arsenal’s defensive pairings and their preferences. We aim to catch them off guard with a different strategy," the Portuguese boss added.
Having played the full 90 minutes in United's recent Europa League match against Real Sociedad, Hojlund was left out of the starting XI as the team faces Arsenal in a key Premier League fixture at Old Trafford.