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Legendary Manchester United defender Gary Pallister has insisted that Ruben Amorim has a major decision to make regarding two members of his squad.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Pallister stressed that Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire are fighting for the same position and Amorim will eventually have to choose between the two.
Both players have had a pretty decent season despite the club’s struggles on the pitch. De Ligt has looked comfortable since his arrival last summer from Bayern Munich, while Maguire is enjoying a stunning resurgence under Amorim.
The England international was United’s hero a few weeks ago, scoring the winning goal at the death as they mounted a dramatic comeback against Lyon in the return leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie. He was instrumental once more on Thursday, as the Red Devils beat Athletic Club 3-0 and took a giant step towards booking their spot in the final. Maguire produced a fine bit of skill on the wing before delivering a sumptuous ball into the box for the opener.
Pallister told GIVEMESPORT, “I’d play Lisandro Martinez as the left-sided centre-back. I would play Leny Yoro as the right-sided centre-back as he has got the pace to cover in the wide areas, and then Amorim has got a decision to make whether it will be Harry Maguire or Matthijs de Ligt.”
“I think they’re both more attuned to playing in the middle of the three, because I don’t think they’re blessed with great pace, but they read the game really well, and they’re confident on the ball.”
“I would choose from either of them two, and then I think it’s about getting your wing-backs sorted as well.”
“Patrick Dorgu has had an alright start and Diogo Dalot has been there for a number of years and does a good job there.”
Pallister also spoke about Luke Shaw and hinted that Amorim and his coaches may be struggling to fully “trust” the 29-year-old due to his pitiful injury record.
“Whether they stick with Luke Shaw or they feel as though the injuries are building up and they can’t trust him to play games, only they’ll know that because they see him day-to-day and know how he is.”
Pallister continued, “I think a lot of it’s probably from that serious injury that he had seven years ago or so now when he broke his ankle. There are a lot of decisions there for Amorim to make over the summer. It’s a huge summer for Manchester United to try and start building the blocks to put the club where they need to be.”
“That’s regularly challenging for Champions League football and building a team that looks as though it can go on and challenge for a title.”
“He is probably not going to get all the pieces in place during one transfer window, but we certainly have to see an improvement in the league form.”
Pallister made 317 appearances for United between 1989 and 1998, helping the club to win four Premier League titles, three FA Cups, a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and one League Cup.
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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