It’s remarkable just how quickly the pendulum can swing at Manchester United.
From the optimism of a five-game unbeaten run, including three successive wins in October, the Red Devils can now be viewed through the lens of three games without a win, following Monday’s dismal defeat to Everton.
Results like that are perhaps to be expected for a side still enduring a hangover from last season’s 15th-place Premier League finish, although with AFCON looming, Ruben Amorim and co can’t afford to keep slipping up.
Sunday’s clash with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park thus provides a perfect opportunity for the Old Trafford side to bounce back, albeit with Amorim’s options again set to be somewhat limited.
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To borrow the old cliché, Selhurst Park has not been a happy hunting ground for United in recent times, having last tasted victory in south London back in July 2020.
Home or way, in truth, the Eagles have provided a stern test for the Manchester side, with United failing to win any of the last four meetings between the two teams, a run that includes the infamous 4-0 thrashing in May 2024, and the subsequent criticism of Casemiro from Jamie Carragher.
Hopes of ending that recent run will have been dented by the news that Matheus Cunha will once again be absent, with the Brazilian having missed the loss to the Toffees after sustaining a head knock in training.
That is a particular blow considering that fellow summer signing Benjamin Sesko is also still set to be missing until mid-December, with the £74m Slovenian having been sidelined since hobbling off in the 2-2 draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Amorim doesn’t even have his makeshift marksman, Harry Maguire, to call upon either, with the 32-year-old also not set to be involved on Sunday due to injury.
Thankfully, the sight of Lisandro Martinez back on the bench last time out will spark hope that the Argentine cult hero can be involved again sooner rather than later, although it is likely that the 27-year-old will be eased back into the action gradually.
There is an intrigue at potentially seeing the ex-Ajax man deployed at left centre-back, with Luke Shaw at left wing-back, although in the meantime, Amorim might have a wildcard solution down that left flank.
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That Shaw-Martinez combination could be the answer later down the line, with Amorim certainly in need of genuine competition or an upgrade on Patrick Dorgu at wing-back, with the Dane again struggling against the Toffees.
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The former Lecce starlet notably flashed an effort wide at the backpost, prior to being hooked on the hour mark, having failed to provide a single successful cross, while losing possession 11 times from just 40 touches, as per Sofascore.
Whether the 21-year-old has been parachuted in too soon or not, he doesn’t look like the answer right now, with Amorim himself admitting that “you can feel the anxiety every time Patrick touches the ball”.
Equally, the decision to deploy a right-footed Diogo Dalot on that flank continues to leave supporters scratching their heads.
With that in mind, Amorim could surely do worse than hand a chance to the previously exiled Tyrell Malacia, with the forgotten Dutchman having been brought in from the cold in recent months.
Previously – and perhaps unfairly – included in United’s summer ‘bomb squad’, the injury-hit full-back might be a wildcard option, representing one of few genuine options on the left wing.
Games (starts)
22 (14)
Goals
0
Assists
0
Big chances created
1
Pass accuracy
87%
Tackles
2.1
Interceptions
1.1
Dribbled past
0.5
Total duels won
50%
Part of the matchday squad in two of the last four games, including against Everton, albeit while yet to make an appearance this season, Malacia hasn’t featured for United since January, having made only eight appearances in the first half of 2024/25 following his belated return from injury.
A 17-month horror stint on the sidelines had come after an initially positive start to life at United back in his debut 2022/23 campaign, with the ex-Feyenoord man having usurped Shaw at left-back following the debacle at Brentford.
The diminutive talent was even likened to a legendary figure of United’s past in the form of Patrice Evra, with Rio Ferdinand making that comparison in August 2022:
So cruelly ravaged by injury since then, the 26-year-old – to his credit – has fought his way back into contention, even after looking off the pace following his eventual return last November, with Amorim stating that it is hard for him as he is “not so offensive”.
After six months at PSV Eindhoven, and a summer exile, Malacia is now back in favour, with Amorim seemingly offering a route back into the side late last month:
Of course, those concerns over his attacking quality might still ring true, having yet to score or assist for the club, yet at a time when Dorgu is struggling, Malacia might well be able to provide a sense of balance off the left.
It would be a bold call to thrust the nine-cap Netherlands international into the mix against Palace’s Daniel Munoz, but Amorim needs to find a solution – the diminutive full-back might just be it.
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