Man United vs. Sunderland: Red Devils head coach Ruben Amorim sets clear target ahead of Premier League showdown

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has said that finding "balance" will "change everything" for the Red Devils, as the Portuguese prepares his side for Saturday's Premier League clash with Sunderland.

The 20-time English champions are down in 14th spot in the Premier League table, only picking up seven points from their opening six matches of the 2025-26 campaign.

There has been fresh speculation surrounding Amorim's future since last weekend's 3-1 defeat to Brentford, and the clash with Sunderland has been billed a must-win match for the Portuguese.

However, Regis Le Bris's side will arrive at Old Trafford full of confidence, with an excellent start to the season seeing the Black Cats pick up 11 points from their first six matches, which has left them fifth in the division.

Amorim has said that he is expecting "a really tough match" against Sunderland.

Amorim expecting "really tough match" against Sunderland

"It’s going to be a really tough match, they are doing really well. When you see their games, they draw with one less player in the final of the game," Amorim told reporters during his pre-match press conference.

"They draw a point and then win in the final play against Brentford. I think the details are changing a lot the table, so we need to pay attention to that. So it’s a team that plays really well, with a clear system, 4-3-3 with a lot of rotations on the side of the pitch. They will be confident and know we are under pressure. We need to be prepared for that. It will be a tough match.

"It’s not just the table and the results, which are in the end what matter most, but it’s the way they play. They have a clear identity, they have a very good manager and they are a good team."

When asked about the importance of Man United finding some consistency, Amorim said: "We already talk about that, if you see during the six games during this season we are not always the same team in small things.

"More in the way we play. All the effort that we put, the maximum effort into every single thing. I think it's not the same in different matches. We have to find that balance - it will change everything for us."

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Amad, Casemiro to return to Man United squad on Saturday

Man United's squad will be boosted by the returns of Casemiro and Amad Diallo on Saturday, with the former available again following a suspension, while the latter returned to training earlier this week following a family bereavement.

However, the Red Devils will be without the services of two defenders this weekend, with Lisandro Martinez not yet ready to return from a serious knee injury, while Noussair Mazraoui is out with a muscular issue.