Not only Rashford: Ruthless Amorim could send big ultimatum by dropping £42m Man Utd star vs Liverpool - view

Manchester United will kick off 2025 with an electrifying Premier League clash against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

United are grappling with an unprecedented slump, having lost three straight league games.

By contrast, Liverpool are in superb form under Arne Slot. They are top of the table and strong favourites to win the title.

Mohamed Salah has been their talisman, bagging 17 goals and 13 assists in 18 league games this term.

He loves scoring against the Red Devils and would love to pile more misery on them this weekend.

Lisandro Martinez and Diogo Dalot have been the regulars on the left side of the defence under manager Ruben Amorim.

Martinez was expected to become a mainstay in the left centre-back spot in a 3-4-3 formation.

He seemed a perfect fit for the role but his performances have fallen short of expectations.

The £42 million-rated star endured a nightmare evening in the 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United.

Martinez was bullied by the Magpies and lost every duel. He also made two costly mistakes against Tottenham Hotspur, which led to United’s League Cup exit.

Martinez has been a fan favourite since his arrival in 2022. He was one of the few players who excelled under former manager Erik ten Hag.

However, injuries appear to have played a major role in the rapid decline of his performances.

Amorim may choose to drop him from the starting XI to send a message to other players.

The Portuguese manager demonstrated his ruthlessness by excluding Marcus Rashford from four matchday squads.

Dropping another key player would send a powerful signal to the entire squad.

Stats from transfermarkt.com.

Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .