Ruben Amorim points finger of blame for not being granted his Man Utd wish

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Ruben Amorim admits that he'd always rather play at the weekend as Manchester United gear up for a Monday night content, but respect that "TV companies give us a lot of money to control that".

The Red Devils will be the last of the teams to play across the Premier League this weekend as they welcome Everton to Old Trafford. The team have been given an extended break following the international set of fixtures, maximising their preparation time.

But whilst the 8pm kick-off on Monday offers some advantages Amorim would always rather be in action at the weekend, largely so that it makes life easier for fans. He claimed that matches were "a family moment", but the late kick-off on Monday may hamper some fans.

The 2025/26 season is the first to be part of the latest deal agreed with the Premier League. The competition agreed a deal with Sky and TNT Sports which saw them receive £6.7bn over four years for its UK television rights - and Amorim accepts that buys them certain controls.

He told the club's website : "You want to play at the weekend because of our fans. That is the main thing. I understand nowadays this is a business and we need to respect that also – the TV companies give us a lot of money to control that but I prefer to play at weekends because it’s a family moment. Old Trafford is always full, so it’s going to be a very good moment.”

United's clash will be live on Sky Sports and this is the first time this season that the Manchester outfit have not had a game played across the weekend. Their only midweek clash was the Carabao Cup loss to Grimsby.

There is a feel good factor at the club, the like of which hasn't been seen during the Amorim era. But the Portuguese boss is in the midst of his best unbeaten run since being appointed with United winning three and drawing two of their past five matches. That has got the fans feeling optimistic, which has made playing at Old Trafford easier.

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Amorim claimed: "In the recent past it was hard to play at home. But nowadays you miss playing at home, that is a feeling we should have in our club. I’m really excited to be back playing at home and the players also. We need to continue winning at home.”

Last season beating Everton at home was one of the seven games Amorim won in the Premier League. The Toffees have a poor record at Old Trafford and have won one of their last four outings.

Amorim revealed that Lisandro Martinez is edging towards full fitness but Monday night's clash might come too soon for the Argentine.

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.