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Manchester United struggled against Nottingham Forest during their FA Cup fifth round tie but ended up winning thanks to a 90th minute winner from Casemiro.
The win means the Red Devils have advanced to the quarterfinals of the competition for the record 48th time and they will face off against arch-rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Erik ten Hag had to once again reshuffle the backline following an injury to Harry Maguire. Sofyan Amrabat was asked to play as the left-back as Victor Lindelof shifted to the heart of the defence.
The Moroccan struggled in that role and almost gave away a goal in the first half due to a loose back pass and it has not been a season to remember for the Fiorentina man.
Amrabat’s struggles
A lot was expected when reports filtered in that the manager wanted to bring the 27-year-old to Old Trafford on loan as backup for Casemiro due to his impressive displays during the Qatar World Cup and for his club side in the Europa Conference League.
The manager had worked with the defensive midfielder during his time at FC Utrecht and he had seen his side struggle in the absence of the former Real Madrid superstar during suspensions and at that time, a move made great sense.
However, the player arrived having not had a proper pre-season and has since struggled to adapt to the pace of the Premier League. It has not been a surprise to see the former Feyenoord man struggle at left back.
But even when playing in his preferred position, Amrabat has not had the best of times and his loan move is unlikely to be made permanent at the end of the current campaign.
The Morocco international has made 20 appearances across all competitions, with 12 of them coming as the defensive midfielder while his last start in the league came back in December.
Regret on both sides
According to Calciomercato, a separation is on the cards with a final decision set to be taken in a month’s time and reportedly, both the club and the player regret the loan move.
“Fiorentina anxious for Amrabat as they risk missing out on top earnings. Manchester United had prevailed over the competition for a very expensive loan deal of 9 million euros with the right to buy for another 20 (plus a possible 5 bonus).
“Manchester United will make a final decision in a month but they are moving towards separation in the summer. With large regrets on both sides.”
Maybe if the move had happened once the player had enjoyed a proper training camp or if the team was in full flow, the outcome could have been different.
With no specialist left-back at the club’s disposal currently, there is a chance Amrabat might have to fill in a few more times going forward. Hopefully, he can give it his all to try and ensure the season ends on a positive note.
Soccer2day 