Man Utd transfer news: Ruben Amorim addresses January plans as absences threaten to derail Red Devils' season

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has insisted that the Red Devils will only make signings in January if the players in question are a part of the club's long-term plan.

The 20-time English champions are currently without the services of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo due to their involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Meanwhile, Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire were again absent against Aston Villa on Sunday, with the centre-back duo yet to overcome their respective injury problems.

Kobbie Mainoo was ruled out against Villa due to a muscular issue, while club captain Bruno Fernandes was forced off at the interval on Sunday after picking up a hamstring problem.

Fernandes could be out for a number of weeks depending on the seriousness of the damage, and the recent issues have left Man United short of options, with Jack Fletcher and Shea Lacey both making their first-team debuts in the 2-1 loss to Villa.

Man United could enter January market due to recent issues

Amorim has said that Man United will not panic in the January transfer window despite their issues.

“We need to deal with that. What we cannot do is reach January and try to do everything with urgency and make mistakes again and be left saying 'here we go again'. I am not going to go to Jason [Wilcox, director of football] and say we need a lot of players," Amorim told reporters.

"If we have to suffer, the club comes first. Of course, we are in the moment that we need points, but we are going to continue with our plan. In this moment, you may feel we are going to struggle, but we will see.”

Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo is currently being heavily linked with a move to Man United, while Atletico Madrid's Conor Gallagher is a potential midfield option.

"I think Kobbie Mainoo is out, but we will see. We are going to find solutions. No excuses, we need to win the next game and we are going to try to win the next game," added Amorim when asked whether Mainoo could be back against Newcastle United on Boxing Day.

“We have to find different solutions. Last year, we had the same issue. When you have that experience, maybe it doesn’t look so bad. We know, without all these players, that we are going to suffer. We are going to try.”

Amorim hinted at January incoming ahead of Villa match

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday, Amorim had suggested that Man United would attempt to boost their squad in January.

"The only thing that we will try to bring now – and in the end of the season – are players that are perfect for our future," he told reporters.

"It's not going to be to save something in this moment, to cope with the losses of three players for AFCON. It’s not going to be like that. Even if we try to bring one player, maybe it's not the position that we need more. So I don't know what is going to happen, but it's possible that we can do something.

"I’m just focused on the next game. Let's go step by step. We have a big match. We need to win. We need to try to find different ways of playing, especially without Amad and Bryan. We lost some characteristics that are hard to find."

Man United are currently seventh in the Premier League table, three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea ahead of the Boxing Day clash with Newcastle.