Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is preparing to implement a tactical change, with the team preparing for a 4-3-3 formation in training ahead of their Premier League clash with Bournemouth at Old Trafford.
The potential and interim shift comes as Amorim plans for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, which will deprive his squad of three key players. Cameroon Captain Bryan Mbeumo, Ivory Coast winger Amad Diallo, and Morocco Right-Back Noussair Mazraoui are all set for international duty, leaving a considerable gap on the right side of United’s usual setup.
This season, Amorim has consistently utilised a 3-4-2-1 system, where the departing trio have frequently combined to form the right flank. Their scheduled absence has prompted the Portuguese coach and his staff to reconsider the team’s structure.
According to inside sources at Carrington, a substantial portion of recent sessions at Carrington has been dedicated to drilling the 4-3-3 shape. This work follows Amorim’s communication to the squad before last Monday’s trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers that a change was imminent. He confirmed that the match at Molineux would proceed with the established system, but indicated that adaptation would be necessary thereafter.
The visit of Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth now presents a potential debut for the new-look system, as Amorim seeks to rebalance his side and maintain momentum during a challenging period of player unavailability.
Manchester United have lost just one of their last nine Premier League games (W5 D3), going down 1-0 at home to Everton. They’ve won more points in these nine games (18) than they had in their previous 17 matches combined (16 – W4 D4 L9).