Because Victor Lindelof is the most recent player to be sidelined due to an injury sustained while playing for his country, Ruben Amorim will have a difficult time making his Manchester United debut

Victor Lindelof was sent off in the 26th minute of Sweden’s match against Slovakia in the UEFA Nations League, which was further bad news for Manchester United. For new coach Ruben Amorim, who has been dealing with a severe personnel dilemma since taking over, this is a major blow.

It is important to remember that Lindelof just made a full recovery from a toe injury that prevented him from playing in the season’s first seven games.

Lindelof’s injury makes the Red Devils’ defensive deficiency even worse. Many key pillars, including Luke Shaw, Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, and Lisandro Martinez, are currently absent from the team. Amorim’s defensive choices have been severely constrained by Martinez’s fitness concerns prior to the international break.

After playing together briefly at Benfica, Amorim and Lindelof share a unique bond. However, given the 30-year-old’s impending long-term absence, this might no longer be the case.

Although the extent of the injury is still unknown, Lindelof is not expected to play Tuesday’s match against Azerbaijan.

Since joining United in 2017, the Swedish center-back has missed 48 games altogether for both the squad and the country due to injuries.

Last season, he missed a number of weeks of action because of groin and hamstring problems. Due to a toe injury, he has only made seven appearances thus far in the 2024–25 season, mostly in the EFL Cup and Europa League.

Lindelof’s future at Old Trafford is also in doubt, since he has just six months left on his contract. AC Milan advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic has made references to a possible transfer to San Siro, but the center-back has insisted that he is just concerned with the present at Manchester United.