Ruben Amorim warned over Man United star's 'shattered confidence' after international snub

Ruben Amorim's start to life as Manchester United boss has featured a busy opening week at Old Trafford.

Amorim made the early call to shake up his coaching staff with key figures joining him from Sporting CP alongside the decision to remove interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy as his assistant.

The 39-year-old now faces the daunting task of improving United's form following a mixed start to the Premier League season.

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Just four wins from 11 games played means Amorim's charges sit 14th in the EPL table ahead of his debut at Ipswich Town on November 24.

Amorim will likely change United's formation and playing style in the coming weeks as he looks to bring several currently struggling stars up to his high standards.

One name which has been consistently mentioned as a key objective for Amorim is Dutch international Joshua Zirkzee.

Zirkzee completed a £36.5m ($46m) move to Manchester from Bologna in July, after netting 11 Serie A goals in 2023/24, as Thiago Motta's team sealed a first-ever UEFA Champions League qualification spot.

However, despite scoring on his EPL debut against Fulham on the opening weekend of the campaign, Zirkzee has struggled to build on that, with no league goals scored since.

The 23-year-old was also benched by Ronald Koeman for the Netherlands 4-0 UEFA Nations League weekend win over Hungary.

As per reports from the Daily Mirror, Zirkzee's confidence is at 'rock-bottom', with Koeman acknowledging his concern ahead of the current international camp.

Reviving Zirzkee's stuttering start to life at United will be on Amorim's to-do list but the Portuguese coach has been warned by former Dutch international Wim Kieft, the situation may be irreversible.

"I fear for Joshua Zirkzee’s future at Man United. He was brought in by Erik ten Hag, but has hardly scored and lacks quality for the top level," he said.

"Now a new manager comes in, and if Ruben Amorim judges him as too light and ineffective, things will get really difficult for Zirkzee."

Koeman's team face their final Nations League game of 2024 against Bosnia & Herzegovina on November 19 with United fans hopeful Zirkzee can play a role in Zenica.