Noussair Mazraoui: Man United star not in training as injury worry grows | OneFootball

Noussair Mazraoui was not spotted in training today as Manchester United continued their preparations for this weekend’s clash with Brentford in the Premier League.

A Noticeable Absentee

Samuel Luckhurst (The Sun) reports Mazraoui was “not visible” in footage from Carrington today with youngster Sam Mather present – a “logical replacement” for the Morocco international.

Tweet: “Mazraoui not visible in #mufc training imagery/footage so Sam Mather was drafted into training. Mather is predominantly a winger, so a logical replacement for Mazraoui in 3-4-2-1 training games. Amorim likely to update on Mazraoui’s fitness tomorrow.”

Luckhurst reports Ruben Amorim is “likely” to provide an explanation on Mazraoui’s absence in the pre-match press-conference tomorrow before the trip to west London.

United are the early kick-off on Saturday – 12:30pm – meaning they will travel to the capital on Friday after training at Carrington in the morning.

If Mazraoui is struggling with an injury, it is in that session that the fitness will be made as to whether he is available for the trip or not.

The 27-year-old fullback was imperious against Chelsea last weekend as United clinched a much-needed victory to alleviate the pressure on Amorim.

But the head coach withdrew Mazraoui in the 64th minute for Matheus Cunha. At the time, there was not a noticeable issue for the Moroccan, but evidently he may have picked up something in the high-intensity match at Old Trafford.

A Key Member of the Dressing Room

Amorim is a huge fan of Mazraoui, describing him as a “top player” – the type United needed to sign more of – after the Portuguese arrived in Manchester from Sporting CP last November.

The former Ajax star’s technical abilities are superb, allowing him to play in a variety of positions – a major plus within Amorim’s complicated 3-4-2-1 system.

Mazraoui has played as a wing-back and centre-back under Amorim, while he also lined up at left-back and even central midfielder under Erik ten Hag. It’s a testament to his tactical understanding and in-game intelligence that his managers consistently rely on him to play out of position.

Amorim also named Mazraoui as part of his leadership group, along with Bruno Fernandes, Harry Maguire, Tom Heaton, Diogo Dalot and Lisandro Martinez, in the Old Trafford dressing room.

And it’s this combination – his ability on the pitch and his influence off it – which is why Mazraoui’s potential absence this weekend will come as a major blow for his coach should the Moroccan be ruled out.

Featured image Jan Kruger via Getty Images

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