Ruben Amorim faces a big challenge on his Manchester United debut as Victor Lindelof becomes the latest player to be forced off with an injury during international duty, further exacerbating the Red Devils’ defensive shortfall.

Manchester United continued to receive bad news when centre-back Victor Lindelof was forced off in the 26th minute of Sweden’s UEFA Nations League clash with Slovakia. This is a significant loss for new coach Ruben Amorim – who has been facing a serious personnel crisis since his first days in charge.

It is worth noting that Lindelof has just returned from a toe injury that kept him out of the first seven games of the season.

Lindelof’s injury further exacerbates the Red Devils’ defensive shortfall. Currently, the team is missing many important pillars such as Luke Shaw, Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez. Martinez’s fitness issues ahead of the international break have significantly limited Amorim’s defensive options.

Amorim and Lindelof have a special relationship, having been teammates for a short time at Benfica. However, this may no longer be the case as the 30-year-old is facing a long-term absence.

Although the severity of the injury is yet to be determined, Lindelof is unlikely to feature against Azerbaijan on Tuesday.

Looking back at Lindelof’s injury history at United since his move in 2017, the Swedish centre-back has missed a total of 48 games for both club and country.

Last season, he was sidelined for several weeks with groin and hamstring problems. Going into the 2024-25 season, a toe injury has limited him to just seven appearances, mostly in the Europa League and EFL Cup.

Lindelof’s future at Old Trafford is also in doubt with just six months remaining on his contract. AC Milan advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic has recently floated the possibility of a move to San Siro, but the centre-back has insisted that he is focused on the present at Manchester United.