Matheus Cunha Breaks Silence While Man Utd Transfer Saga Drags On

Manchester United striker Matheus Cunha has expressed gratitude to supporters following his exclusion from Sunday's fixture against Crystal Palace.

An injury sustained during practice sessions kept Cunha out of the frustrating 1-0 loss to Everton, and the summer acquisition won't feature this weekend as head coach Ruben Amorim indicated Thursday's clash with West Ham United represents a more feasible comeback opportunity.

Cunha posted on social media following Amorim's announcement, sharing an image of himself exercising on a stationary bike, alleviating concerns about any serious underlying condition.

"Thank you all for the messages, I haven't gone crazy yet," he joked.

"Despite the joke, thank you for your concern. Much love."

Amorim: Lisandro Martínez Ready to Play

Although Cunha will be absent on Sunday, Selhurst Park might witness the season debut of center-back Lisandro Martínez, who hasn't featured for the Red Devils since sustaining a severe knee problem in February, ironically against Palace.

Martínez remained on the substitutes' bench during the Everton match after Amorim cautioned against hastily reintegrating the Argentine defender, but the United manager confirmed Martínez possesses sufficient fitness to participate on Sunday if required.

"If he is on the bench, he is ready," Amorim stated to club media prior to the match.

"Naturally, we must manage his playing time but, if he is on the bench, he is prepared to feature."

The spotlight returns to United following a deeply frustrating loss to Everton that ended a five-match undefeated streak and renewed questions about the squad's overall trajectory under the Portuguese manager.

United slipped to 10th position in the table before the weekend fixtures, sitting two points adrift of Palace in fifth place.