Cunia may return against West Ham, and Man United aims for consecutive wins! Mount reveals accidental synergy with Bruno Fernandes

Man United will have their first double match week in months on Thursday, hosting West Ham, who are fighting relegation. West Ham’s main man Paqueta is suspended following a red card, and Man United’s striker Cunia has returned to training and is expected to be available.

After previously suffering a head injury in training, 26-year-old Cunia missed the games versus Everton and Crystal Palace, marking his second injury spell this season. However, on Monday, Cunia posted a photo on social media holding a football as he ran into the training ground, announcing his return. “Back, back, back!” Cunia wrote.

There is no official confirmation yet on whether Cunia will feature in Man United’s match against West Ham; Ruben Amorim is expected to provide details at the Premier League pre-match press conference. Although Cunia has scored only one goal since joining Man United for £62.5 million, his ball control and dribbling skills can add more value to the team.

Man United’s 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace mainly stemmed from set-piece threats, with both goals coming from free kicks taken by Bruno Fernandes. Amorim joked that he has been borrowing set-piece tactics from other Premier League teams. He said, “We did a lot of preparation because with only the Premier League, we have more time to work, and the workload is heavy, but we learned a lot. I think you are used to seeing goals from set pieces now; in the Premier League, you can learn many methods from other teams. To score, we had to ‘steal’ some ideas.”

The Red Devils also took advantage of Crystal Palace’s fitness disadvantage, as Palace played a Europa League away match on Thursday evening while Man United had up to six days to prepare. Ultimately, goals from Zirkzee and Mount secured Man United’s first comeback since May, ending Crystal Palace’s 12-home-game unbeaten streak dating back to February.

Man United’s winning goal was created through an indirect free-kick combination between Mount and Bruno Fernandes, which appeared to be a pre-planned move. However, Mount revealed that the free kick was somewhat accidental, and he and Bruno almost failed to coordinate properly.

“Before the kick, we always communicate briefly. I told him, ‘I’ll flick the ball for you.’ He replied, ‘No need, just stand there.’ I said again, ‘You take the shot.’ Because the sun was shining brightly, goalkeeper Dean Henderson might not see the ball clearly. Yet, he said, ‘Kick it that way.’ Then he kicked the ball toward me, and you can see my reaction: ‘Ah, I have to run for it.’ Although he told me, it was so fast—maybe that helped me score because the opponents couldn’t anticipate our conversation. The wall reacted slowly, and the key was to find the gap, disrupt the opponents, and then shoot on target.”

This goal marked Mount’s 50th career goal and his sixth since transferring to Man United for £60 million in 2023. Mount also played the entire match, completing his first full 90 minutes in the Premier League for Man United. Interestingly, the last time he played a full league game was also against Crystal Palace, in the Chelsea vs. Palace match in January 2023. “It feels like a long time. This is a significant positive for me. I’ve been working hard in training recently, and now I feel great,” Mount said. “Playing the full 90 minutes is really satisfying. Now I need to recover and get ready for the next game. I haven’t played a full match in a while, but I believe I have the ability to do so.”

If Cunia returns, one of the two goal scorers, Mount or Zirkzee, might have to move to the bench. Regarding this, Mount stated, “Whether I come off the bench or start, I have to keep the same mindset and make a difference for the team on the pitch.”

If Man United can defeat West Ham, it will mark Ruben Amorim’s second consecutive Premier League win as manager. The team once achieved a three-game winning streak in October but then went through a three-match winless run.