Ruben Amorim has already explained his reason for upsetting Man Utd star who 'didn't look happy'

View 3 Images

Ruben Amorim has already offered an explanation after appearing to upset Joshua Zirkzee during Manchester United' s 2-1 loss to Aston Villa . The Dutchman came off the bench in the defeat but perhaps expected to be introduced earlier than he was.

United found themselves trailing on the stroke of half-time during their trip to Villa Park after Morgan Rogers' sublime curling effort . Matheus Cunha levelled prior to the break, but Rogers added a second just before the hour mark and secured all three points for Unai Emery' s side.

A casualty of the loss was captain Bruno Fernandes , who suffered what appeared to be a hamstring injury during the first half but continued playing. Zirkzee was a frontrunner to replace him at the interval but United icon Gary Neville was "surprised" to see Lisandro Martinez come on in his place.

Neville stated that Zirkzee looked upset at not being brought on at half-time, despite being introduced after 73 minutes, but Amorim provided an applicable explanation for a similar decision last season.

On commentary for Sky Sports . Neville voiced his shock at Martinez coming on instead of Zirkzee, who has found minutes hard to come by under Amorim.

HAVE YOUR SAY! Who has been Manchester United's best player over the course of 2025? Vote in our official Mirror Man Utd WhatsApp channel .

"I'm surprised as I thought Zirkzee would come on as he is closer to Fernandes' position," he said before adding: "He [Zirkzee] doesn't look like he's too happy."

View 3 Images

But a not dissimilar situation occurred last campaign. Zirkzee started a tie against Newcastle in December 2024 but with United trailing 2-0 after 32 minutes, he was brought off the pitch and looked visibly distraught.

Amorim explained after the match: "You have to think about the team. The player is suffering during the game. We needed another midfielder. It was tough on me to do that. I talked with Joshua about that.

"I'm always thinking about the team. At that moment it was important for him to come out. I know that Josh is a really good guy. When he went to the tunnel, I can understand that some guys can be in a bad way but he is a really good lad."

View 3 Images

He added: "It is life, and we will support Josh and continue. Newcastle were better than Manchester United . They weren't better than Josh."

Neville also had his say during this controversial substitution, much like he did when Zirkzee was not introduced against Villa. He said: "I know that he's earning a lot of money but there's a human being in there that's basically being cheered off by his home fans and that is brutal."

Despite Amorim making decisions surrounding Zirkzee for the good of the team, the Dutchman continues to be linked with a move away from the club.

Zirkzee was only signed in July 2024 from Bologna for £36.5million, but reports suggest he could make a swift return to Italy. Corriere dello Sport claim Roma are interested in Zirkee and the only thing currently preventing a transfer is a disparity on fees.

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.