Ruben Amorim will have learnt plenty about his Manchester United squad during Sunday’s woeful Premier League defeat against Bournemouth. Tyrell Malacia – a surprise starter at left-wing-back – was among a handful of players essentially asking to be sold in the January transfer window.

United were beaten for a third time in four league games at Old Trafford – losing 3-0 at home to the Cherries in a second straight season.

Dean Huijsen headed the visitors ahead in the first half before a Justin Kluivert penalty doubled the advantage on the hour mark.

Antoine Semenyo added a third minutes later to inflict the latest in a string of dark days during United’s troublesome season.

Malacia’s first-half struggles summarised the Red Devils’ afternoon and sparked serious debate over his future in M16.

Is the Dutch defender still finding his feet after spending 18 months on the sidelines with multiple knee injuries?

Or is he simply one of many poor signings sanctioned by Amorim’s predecessor, Erik ten Hag?

Either way, Malacia looked like a player who won’t be starting games for United next season once Amorim dips into the transfer market.

Express

Ashley Young suffered a nasty neck injury during Everton’s Premier League clash against Chelsea on Sunday.

The ex-Manchester United star started as a right-back in Everton’s goalless draw against Chelsea on Sunday and was substituted in the 73rd minute as Seamus Coleman replaced him on the pitch. After the game, manager Sean Dyche confirmed that Young ‘ripped his neck’ during the game and was subbed off as a precaution.

Speaking to reporters, the Toffees boss said: “Youngy is suspended anyway but he ripped his neck then he did a brilliant header at the far stick. We had to take him off for both reasons – to make sure he was OK physically and was on a yellow card.”

The 39-year-old was already suspended for the upcoming Boxing Day clash against Manchester City after he picked up his fifth yellow card of the season against the Blues. The Merseyside club will conduct medical tests to find out the degree of the player’s injury and the exact time he will take to recover.

The former England international will hope that his injury is not too serious so that he can return to action at least before January 9 and take the field against Peterborough United in the FA Cup where his 18-year-old son Tyler plays.

Liverpool intend to ‘raid’ Championship high-flyers Sunderland for the signature of 18-year-old academy talent Trey Ogunsuyi, according to reports.

Clubs increasingly want players from a young age and develop them in-house, rather than go into the top of the transfer market for established stars.

As well as identifying local talent that includes poaching academy players from other clubs. To that end, the pearl of Liverpool’s academy is Trey Nyoni, a player brought in from Leicester City at the age of 16. But they certainly aren’t alone in that tactic, with Manchester United notably snapping up prolific prospect Chido Obi-Martin from Arsenal earlier this year.

The Daily Mail writes that the Reds are now monitoring versatile forward Ogunsuyi, who has scored five goals in five appearances at Premier League 2 so far this season, playing with and against players up to several years older.

And while the Belgium junior international is yet to make a senior debut for Sunderland, the youngster has been named on the bench by Regis Le Bris three times.

Sunderland is a club where young players are currently thriving. The Black Cats are aiming to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017 and are doing it with a raw but talented squad – four of their five most used players so far this season are aged 23 or younger. Of those, two are 19-year-old Jobe Bellingham and 17-year-old Chris Rigg.

Liverpool’s own crop of youngsters also have plenty of promise. Jurgen Klopp famously relied on them during last season’s triumphant Carabao Cup run, although the aforementioned Nyoni is the only teenage to have accrued any first-team minutes so far under Arne Slot.