Overview
- Ruben Amorim confirmed Fernandes sustained a soft-tissue hamstring problem at Aston Villa and will miss Newcastle, with the recovery timeline still unclear.
- Kobbie Mainoo has a calf issue that is expected to keep him out against Newcastle, Casemiro returns from suspension, and United are depleted by AFCON call-ups and defensive injuries.
- Lisandro Martínez was used in midfield as an emergency option and teenagers Jack Fletcher and Shea Lacey made debuts, with Diogo Dalot calling Fernandes’s absence a massive blow.
- Amorim said the club will not panic buy in January and will stick to a longer-term plan, with reports linking a move for Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo and any midfield addition likely deferred.
- Aston Villa won 2-1 through a Morgan Rogers brace, underscoring the strain on United’s reshaped side during a congested holiday schedule.