Man United Coach, Ruben Amorim, has made it clear he is unwilling to sanction any player departures during the January transfer window unless suitable replacements are brought in, insisting his squad is already stretched too thin.

As reported by BBC Sports on Friday, the Manchester United head coach is facing growing uncertainty around the futures of Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee, both of whom are keen for more regular playing time in the second half of the season.

Mainoo is still hoping to secure a loan move once he regains full fitness, while Zirkzee has been linked with a potential return to Italy after struggling for consistent minutes.

However, Amorim believes allowing players to leave without reinforcements would leave the squad unable to cope with injuries and the demands of competing at the highest level.

Even with captain Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo set to return from injury, along with Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui coming back from the Africa Cup of Nations duty, the Portuguese coach feels numbers remain insufficient.

“It’s going to be hard for someone to leave the club if we don’t get a substitution,” Amorim said. “We are short. Even with the full squad we are short for something that can happen.

“We are a club with a big responsibility. We need to win every game. There are no excuses.”

United’s lack of depth has been highlighted ahead of their Boxing Day clash with Newcastle, with Amorim set to be without seven senior players. Mainoo remains sidelined with a calf injury, while defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire will also miss the match.

With injuries continuing to disrupt his plans and expectations remaining high, Amorim appears determined to prioritise stability over transfer movement as United head into a crucial period of the season.