Man Utd Star Suffers Shock Training Ground Injury in Freak Accident
Manchester United striker Matheus Cunha was compelled to withdraw from a scheduled public event this weekend following a "training ground incident" and is believed to be questionable for Monday's clash against Everton, potentially presenting Ruben Amorim with a challenging team selection puzzle.
The Brazilian international featured in both of his nation's matches during the November international window and was set to make an unusual pairing with Coronation Street star Sam Aston at the Christmas light switch-on ceremony in Altrincham on Saturday.
However, there would be no television drama crossover. Event organizers released a statement on Saturday stating: "Regrettably, Matheus Cunha has suffered a training accident today and will be unable to attend this evening's Christmas Lights Switch-on in Altrincham for medical reasons."
Cunha's withdrawal was quickly covered by The Athletic, which in a later update characterized the issue as "a slight injury." ESPN's contacts provided the same assessment while noting that the summer signing is now "questionable" for Monday evening's Premier League return at Old Trafford.
The possible exclusion of Cunha would represent a major setback for Amorim.
The versatile attacker was in United's starting eleven for their last four matches before the international pause, an undefeated run that saw Cunha net his inaugural goal for the club in a 4–2 triumph over Brighton & Hove Albion.
Capable of operating as the focal point in United's attacking trio or in a withdrawn position to complement Benjamin Šeško, Cunha has become the team's offensive catalyst, facilitating smooth connections between midfield and attack to prevent either area from being as depleted as it frequently was during the previous campaign.
The sole fixture Cunha has been absent from this season was the Manchester derby. United suffered a comprehensive 3–0 defeat.
Šeško spearheaded the attack for the Red Devils on that occasion but will also be unavailable for Monday's encounter with Everton.
Amorim's Attacking Headache Against Everton
Amorim recently disclosed that Šeško will be sidelined for the next "several weeks" due to the knee problem he sustained against Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month. Although he is anticipated to return before United's AFCON players depart, the tall Slovenian will not participate against Everton.
Bryan Mbeumo will certainly maintain his position and could well be accompanied in the forward line by Amad Diallo, whose offensive tendencies have consistently been restricted by a wing-back assignment.
Should Cunha also find himself in the medical bay alongside Šeško, Joshua Zirkzee would remain as Amorim's sole available senior forward.
The Dutch player has been rarely seen this season, accumulating just 82 Premier League minutes across four substitute outings despite being named in every matchday squad. Zirkzee hasn't started a league fixture since April and continues to await his first top-flight goal of 2025. Nevertheless, his most recent strikes in the division came via a double against Everton nearly 12 months prior.