Amorim’s Manchester United suffer Boxing Day blow as two stars are injured vs. Newcastle United
Manchester United will host Newcastle United on Friday, December 26, for Matchday 18 of the 2025-26 Premier League season, as they look to regain stability and push for a European place. With this matchup standing as the lone Boxing Day fixture, head coach Ruben Amorim will be without two key Red Devils stars due to injury.
Without European competition, the 2025–26 campaign has fallen short of expectations for United, as the team has struggled for consistency, swinging between highs and lows that have left supporters frustrated. With a potential top-five push still within reach, the Red Devils now face an added challenge with two starters sidelined.
During Wednesday’s pre-match press conference, Amorim was asked whether Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo would be available against Newcastle, and his response was direct: “No, not for this game. They are recovering. I don’t think that is going to take a lot of time. I think Kobbie is going to return faster than Bruno, but for this game, they’re out.“
In last weekend’s match against Aston Villa, Mainoo was left out of the squad after suffering a last-minute calf injury. During the same game, captain Fernandes was forced off at halftime after picking up a soft-tissue injury in the first half, with both midfielders now joining Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt on the sidelines.
While Amorim admitted he has a sense of the recovery timelines, he stopped short of providing a clear return date for the Portuguese playmaker. He acknowledged how Fernandes’ absence impacts the team but framed it as an opportunity for others to step up as leaders: “I think it’s impossible to replace Bruno,”Amorim said. “But we need to take the good thing—if there is a good thing—that other players now have to step up.“
Amorim to look for options to replace both stars
With Fernandes entrenched as a starter and Mainoo typically serving as his primary alternative, United have taken two blows in the same position. Against Aston Villa, Fernandes was replaced by Lisandro Martínez, who shifted into midfield, while Amorim also handed debuts to 18-year-olds Jack Fletcher and Shea Lacey.
Asked how the team plans to cope with both midfielders sidelined, Amorim expressed confidence in his squad depth: “We have other players. We maybe need to try and see different ways of playing. I think Jack Fletcher did a good job, and that’s why, when we have this opportunities to give spaces to guys like Jack and the other ones, we’ll find solutions to play.“
Why is only Manchester United vs. Newcastle United on Boxing Day?
England’s top flight has long embraced the Boxing Day tradition, with matches played on December 26 becoming a staple of the football calendar. However, in 2025, only Manchester United vs. Newcastle United will be played on the day itself, while the remaining nine fixtures are spread across December 27 and 28, raising questions among fans.
Broadcasting requirements stipulate that 33 league rounds must be played on weekends each season, with only five permitted during midweek. As a result, Boxing Day has been removed from the midweek slate, with the Premier League almost breaking historic tradition, reducing it to a single fixture.