Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim is not willing to let any players leave in the January transfer window unless replacements come in.
Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee are both keen for chances to play more regularly over the second half of the season. Mainoo still wants to go out on loan, while Zirkzee has been linked with a return to Italy.
However, even when his squad is bolstered in the middle of next month by the return to fitness of skipper Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, Amorim does not believe there are enough players in his squad to cope with a reduction in numbers.
“It’s going to be hard for someone to leave the club if we don’t get a substitution,” he said.
“We are short. Even with the full squad we are short for something that can happen.
“We are a club with a big responsibility. We are dealing with all these issues and in [the media’s] heads, in my head, in everybody’s head, we need to win every game. It doesn’t matter. There are no excuses.”
Amorim will be without seven senior players for the Boxing Day match against Newcastle.
Mainoo is still sidelined with a calf problem, while defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire also miss out.
Amorim has already said it is possible United may sign someone in January, although that will not be Bournemouth‘s Antoine Semenyo, who is set to join Manchester City instead.
In theory, an upgrade in midfield as a replacement for Zirzkee or Mainoo may improve United as they chase a European place over the second half of the season.
Financially though, losing Mainoo may not make much sense given whoever came in would be on three or four times the 20-year-old’s current salary.
Unless Mainoo returns quickly, 18-year-old England youth international Jack Fletcher will be providing the midfield competition for Casemiro, Mason Mount and Manuel Ugarte over the Christmas and New Year period.
