Manchester United waiting on Mason Mount and Harry Maguire

By Simon Peach, PA Chief Football Writer

Ruben Amorim says Manchester United have to assess last weekend’s match-winner, Harry Maguire, and Mason Mount ahead of the clash with Brighton.

The Red Devils welcome the Seagulls to Old Trafford on Saturday evening, fresh from securing back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time since the Portuguese arrived last November.

Maguire’s late header sealed a memorable 2-1 win against arch-rivals Liverpool – their first Anfield triumph since 2016 – but the defender could miss United’s return to action.

The defender is dealing with a knock, as is midfielder Mount having played the first 61 minutes last Sunday.

“The squad is fine, we have some doubts,” head coach Amorim said.

“We had some issues during the week with Harry Maguire and Mason Mount. Knocks but nothing serious. We will see tomorrow. Licha [Lisandro Martinez] is out. The rest are ready for the game.

“I think it’s going to be, like always, a very difficult game. Brighton is a team that is really fun to watch.

“They are really good on the build-up, they are really strong on transitions, in every aspect of the game. They are doing well in set-pieces this season, so I think they are a team that is really complete.

“We need to be really smart and to face that game with a real focus on everything that we do because they are a very strong team.”

Maguire will be desperate to prove his fitness and retain his place after last weekend’s high at Liverpool.

The 32-year-old defender has been derided in some quarters since joining from Leicester in 2019 for £80million but has produced numerous key contributions along the way.

Maguire is attracting admiring glances with his deal expiring at the end of the season, but Amorim’s focus is on building momentum rather than his contract situation.

“We are really happy with Harry,” he said. “It’s not the time to talk about that because that gives the idea that we are thinking so far away.

“We are really happy with Harry, he is really important for us, but we need to focus on the next game.”

Among the setbacks, Maguire has impressively overcome being stripped of the captaincy by former boss Erik ten Hag, who two years ago handed the armband to Bruno Fernandes.

The irrepressible playmaker is set to make a landmark 300th appearance for United on Saturday and Amorim is full of praise for his compatriot.

“I think he’s a little bit different to what I was expecting,” the Red Devils boss said. “Everything you read about the player sometimes is not that.

“You can understand sometimes the frustration he feels is because he wants to help the team-mates a lot. Sometimes it’s not the best way, but he comes from a good place. You don’t know that when you are not here.

“He wants the responsibility all the time. He suffered a lot with the losses.

“Every time we don’t win a game, you can feel that he takes it personally, as you should as a captain. He is a great leader, a great footballer.”