‘A different feeling’ – Have Man Utd shown mentality shift under Ruben Amorim?

If this was a day when United showed their resilience, it was also a day that must have left Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo even more uncertain of their futures in Amorim’s new-look Manchester United.

In his pre-match press conference, Amorim said it was possible players who think they are at risk of missing the World Cup will ask to leave in the January transfer window.

It is fair to assume Zirkzee and Mainoo fall into that bracket. Zirkzee has managed 82 minutes from his four Premier League substitute appearances this season. For Mainoo, the number is 138 from seven.

Neither has started a Premier League game this season and nor were they asked to come off the bench at the City Ground, as United chased a way back into a game they were losing from the 50th minute.

“We have a lot of quality on the bench but sometimes I have the feeling if I’m going to stop the game all the time, I’m going to break something,” said Amorim.

“We were improving during the second half, so my feeling was not to change anything with the guys in front.”

Mainoo had a deal in place to join Napoli in the last days of the summer window but United would not sanction a deal. Zirkzee was coming back from injury but is now open to the idea of a return to Italy.

The situation is complicated by the loss of Mbeumo and Amad to the Africa Cup of Nations in the middle of December, a period which includes a couple of midweek games which will demand a level of rotation not previously needed.

As the final is on 18 January, the pair should be back well before the transfer window closes on 2 February – which may mean a later resolution than any wantaway player would like.

“It is the characteristics of the game,” said Amorim, when asked specifically about Zirkzee and Mainoo. “They know it’s just a moment.

“It’s nothing to do with quality – and we have a lot of games.”