Ruben Amorim will speak with Alejandro Garnacho after the Manchester United forward made an early exit following his controversial substitution in the 3-2 victory against Ipswich on Wednesday.
Garnacho, 20, was replaced by defender Noussair Mazraoui late in the first half after Patrick Dorgu’s red card forced Amorim to adjust his lineup. Instead of sitting on the bench with the other substitutes, Garnacho walked down the touchline straight to the dressing room. The decision sparked boos from United fans, and Garnacho later posted a dejected Instagram story of himself walking through the rain.
Amorim explained Garnacho’s reaction, suggesting the cold and wet conditions might have contributed. “The thinking was we’d play more in the 5-3-1. I know it’s a risk, especially because Garnacho is the one player with that one-on-one pace, but I felt the team was controlling the game well, almost at halftime. Then we made the substitution, considering things like set pieces,” he said.
When asked about Garnacho’s response, Amorim referenced his past experience with Marcus Rashford, who was loaned to Aston Villa after Amorim grew frustrated with his attitude. “You’re connecting this to Rashford, right? I know,” Amorim said. “I will talk to Garnacho about this, and I’ll address it in the next press conference.”
While Amorim plans to speak to Garnacho, he chose not to criticize Dorgu for his early mistake, which led to Ipswich’s first goal. A mix-up between Dorgu and United goalkeeper Andre Onana allowed Jaden Philogene to score. United responded with a Sam Morsy own goal and a Matthijs de Ligt effort to take the lead, but Dorgu’s red card for a foul on Omari Hutchinson left them a man down.
Ipswich equalized just before the break, but Harry Maguire’s header early in the second half secured the win for United, Amorim’s fifth league victory in charge. Reflecting on the game, he said, “Everybody watching thought, ‘Here we go again’ after the early goal. But football is like that, and we fought through all the challenges and truly deserved the three points. Dorgu didn’t intend to harm anyone, and that’s what matters to me.”
