Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim may be forced into breaking own policy against Arsenal

Joshua Zirkzee, the Dutch international who joined Manchester United from Bologna in July, surprised fans by starting in Sunday’s match against Everton. The forward hadn’t started a game since United’s 5-2 victory over Leicester City in the Carabao Cup on October 30, and his last Premier League start was in a 3-0 loss to Tottenham at the end of September.

Moreover, he hadn’t scored for United since the season opener, making his brace against Everton all the more unexpected. Head coach Ruben Amorim’s faith in Zirkzee paid off as he scored twice, either side of half-time, contributing to United’s biggest league win of the season.

His performance, which included dropping deep to help build attacks, provided much-needed optimism. Despite ending his 17-game goal drought, Zirkzee may be prepared for the possibility of not starting in Wednesday’s match at the Emirates Stadium.

Expectations are soaring as Rasmus Hojlund looks set to lead the line against Arsenal after getting a rest against Everton. Amorim hinted at the Dane’s exhaustion, saying he was “dead” following his two-goal haul against Bodo/Glimt, explaining his absence in the face-off with Sean Dyche’s squad.

A start for Zirkzee over Hojlund is expected when the teams emerge from the tunnel in North London. Amorim may largely stick to his guns despite enforced changes due to the suspensions of Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo.

Amorim will have to juggle his resources smartly, replacing the suspended pair for United’s trip to the Emirates. Predicting Amorim’s starting XI poses a challenge, as he’s shuffled the pack significantly in recent games, making half a dozen switches in personnel each time.

As fans scrutinise United’s last outing, the most significant predicted reshuffle in the starting lineup boils down to the absent Martinez and Mainoo.

Andre Onana is set to be the first-choice goalkeeper, with Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt quickly becoming defensive stalwarts. The only alteration in the backline comes as a result of Martinez’s fifth yellow card of the season.

In the wing-back positions, Amad is expected to start following his impressive performance against Everton. It would be a gamble for Amorim to replace Diogo Dalot with Alejandro Garnacho and use two natural wingers as wing-backs.

Tyrell Malacia has not seen enough game time this season to start over Dalot against a team like Arsenal. Casemiro, who played 66 minutes against Everton before being substituted for Manuel Ugarte, is likely to start in midfield again, especially with Mainoo absent.

Christian Eriksen has been left out of the last two matchday squads and Mason Mount is more effective further up the pitch. In attack, Hojlund is ready to return after a much-needed rest against Everton.

Bruno Fernandes is a constant presence, and Amorim has confirmed he will be available for the trip to the Emirates. Marcus Rashford, who netted twice over the weekend, will be a valuable asset with his speed during the counter-attack.

Amorim has been eager to rotate his squad heavily during his first few United matches, but could abandon that policy with the inclusion of Hojlund over Zirkzee the only non-enforced change away to Arsenal.

Amorim has emphasised the importance of squad rotation to maintain freshness amidst a demanding schedule, with the Arsenal clash marking only the second of nine fixtures in a gruelling month. He previously declared rotating his squad against Everton as “impossible”.

Yet, as he gears up for consecutive Premier League matches for the first time, facing Arsenal presents his toughest challenge to date, potentially prompting him to reconsider his rotation strategy for this pivotal encounter.