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Ruben Amorim Acknowledges Challenges Ahead as Manchester United Faces Arsenal

Ruben Amorim, the head coach of Manchester United, has expressed his belief that he will not receive the same level of patience from the club’s management as Mikel Arteta did during his initial struggles at Arsenal. United is set to host Arsenal on Sunday, amidst a challenging season where they currently sit in 14th place in the Premier League standings, having secured just 18 points from a potential 48 under Amorim’s guidance.

Arteta faced a tough beginning at Arsenal as well, failing to qualify for the Champions League in three consecutive seasons before ultimately transforming the team into title contenders. However, Amorim remains unconvinced that he will be granted similar time to implement his vision for United.

“I will not have the time that Arteta had. I feel that. It’s a different club,” Amorim stated. “The way Arteta dealt with that is an inspiration for everybody. I will not have the time like Arteta had.”

The upcoming match against Arsenal is critical for United, particularly as they look toward their second leg in the Europa League round of 16 against Real Sociedad the following Thursday. Amorim’s squad will have one less day to recover after their recent 1-1 draw against the Spanish side.

When questioned about the possibility of resting players for the Arsenal fixture, Amorim responded, “When you are in this kind of club, you cannot think like that with a small squad at this moment. We are trying to see all the players that are fresh and are not in danger of getting injured. Even that, we have to risk a little bit, but we have to be competitive on Sunday.”

He further elaborated on the unique challenges presented by the Europa League, stating, “Europa League is so much harder in my opinion than Champions League. Not the games but the recovery to then play in Premier League on the weekend [after playing Thursday].”

As Manchester United prepares for their clash with Arsenal, Amorim is left uncertain regarding the fitness of key players like defender Harry Maguire and midfielder Manuel Ugarte, both of whom missed the match against Sociedad due to injuries. “We need to survive Sunday,” he emphasized. “The team was so tired in the last 30 minutes [against Sociedad]. We have to prepare for Sunday and then think about this important game for us. In this moment I don’t know [about Maguire and Ugarte].”

Additionally, Amorim was unable to utilize promising teenage striker Chido Obi in Spain as the club did not manage to register him in their Europa League knockout phase squad. However, Obi is expected to feature against Arsenal, having left the club in the summer due to concerns about his pathway into the first team. “Everybody can start. If they are training [on Friday], if they played against Sociedad, they can be ready. Chido is on the list,” Amorim mentioned.

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