Update: |Man United boss Ruben Amorim gives Matthijs de Ligt injury update ahead of Man City fixture News

Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt is not in the squad for the Manchester derby at Old Trafford because of injury.

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has confirmed he is not sure how long defender Matthijs de Ligt could be unavailable for after being left out of the squad for the derby this afternoon.

De Ligt was a doubt for the visit of Manchester City to Old Trafford after suffering an ankle injury in Tuesday night’s defeat at Nottingham Forest. He took a knock to his ankle in the first half but managed to play on.

He said he was fine when asked post-match, offering encouragement he could be available for this afternoon’s game, but Amorim confirmed at Friday’s press conference that he would need to be “assessed” ahead of the clash with Pep Guardiola’s side.

In his absence, Harry Maguire has come back into the starting XI and he will play alongside Noussair Mazraoui and Leny Yoro in the back-three. Maguire, who returned from an injury of his own against Forest, last started on March 2.

Amorim told MUTV: “Matthijs has an injury, let’s see how long it is going to take. We are going to put in Harry Maguire, who is really experienced.

“We have to pay attention to his fitness also, we cannot lose another player. Rasmus has the pace, he has the quality and we are going to try and use the pace of Rasmus to help us win the game.”

The most surprising element of the team news is Luke Shaw’s inclusion in the matchday squad for the first time since December 1. He has been named on the bench.

“It is important,” Amorim added, addressing Shaw’s return to the squad. “He is really experienced. He can help us not just on the field but also outside the field.

“Everyone is really happy to have Luke Shaw again.”

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