Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim singles out three stars as Lisandro Martinez request blocked

Ruben Amorim has explained why he was forced to deny Lisandro Martinez's request ahead of Manchester United's Premier League clash with Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The Red Devils head to the East Midlands aiming to secure a fourth consecutive league victory, having previously overcome Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton. Victory at The City Ground would see Amorim's men climb to second place in the standings - albeit temporarily.

During his pre-match press conference, Amorim addressed queries regarding the squad's fitness concerns, including Martinez's current condition, Forest's transformation under Sean Dyche following Ange Postecoglou's departure, and how United will manage without Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo during the Africa Cup of Nations. With this in mind, Express Sport has compiled the key highlights from the Portuguese manager's discussion.

Martinez fitness latest

Amorim has reminded Martinez of the chain of command after disclosing the defender had expressed his eagerness to feature against Nottingham Forest. The Argentine, however, has been informed he must exercise patience before making his comeback.

Martinez has been absent since February following an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury sustained against Crystal Palace, though he rejoined his United colleagues in training earlier this week.

When questioned about Martinez's status and the possibility of him featuring against Forest, Amorim stated: "He wants to go to this one [Forest], he isn't going to this one. He's going to need time.

"He has started training with us. Slowly, he is going to get better.

"It's really good. He gives use that edge in every training session, that is also really good for us. The rest of the guys we have one day. I don't know about Harry Maguire, the rest are fit."

Three Forest players singled out

Amorim has identified three Nottingham Forest players as key threats ahead of United's visit to the City Ground. The head coach highlighted England internationals Morgan Gibbs-White, Elliot Anderson and Callum Hudson-Odoi as the primary dangers.

The United chief also disclosed that he has been studying Forest carefully since Dyche assumed control. The former Burnley and Everton boss has secured one victory and suffered one defeat during his brief Forest tenure since replacing Ange Postecoglou earlier this month, triumphing over Porto in the Europa League before succumbing to a 2-0 loss at Bournemouth.

"I watched against Porto, I watched against Bournemouth, the style of play is similar, with different characteristics," Amorim said. "I watched one game that we didn't pre-season with Sporting, so to try to understand how he played in that game. It's similar, he can change some characteristics of the players with the talent that they have, especially with Gibbs-White, Anderson, Hudson-Odoi, very good players.

"So we need to be prepared for a different game against Brighton. We had space to play. We are not going to have that space. You need to understand that we are not being the same team away and at home, so we need to improve the way we control the environment. Every tackle is a big moment for the opponent's fans, so we need to play better away. We are prepared for a very tough match."

Amad and Mbeumo's absence will prove costly

Both Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo will be unavailable throughout December and January whilst representing their nations at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) - with Amorim admitting the Reds will face difficulties in their absence.

The competition kicks off on Sunday, December 21, continuing through the festive period and into the New Year, before concluding with the final on Sunday, January 18.

"We will have time to suffer," Amorim admitted regarding Amad and Mbeumo's forthcoming absence. "We are going to struggle a little bit, but we already knew it's going to be an opportunity.

"When I watch the training, there are players that should be playing, but it's hard with one game to take some players from the team, because they are doing well also during the training in games. So other players are going to have the opportunity to help us.

"They are understanding the way we want to play, so if we are improving on that, the change of characteristics is not going to change the idea or the momentum of the team. But let's use Amad and Bryan in these games and we will see in general."