Manchester United’s Matthijs de Ligt was absent from the clash against West Ham due to a ‘minor’ issue, as revealed by head coach Ruben Amorim. However, the Red Devils boss is optimistic that the Dutch defender will be fit to face Wolves on Monday night.

Amorim had to draft in young defender Ayden Heaven, who was rumoured to be loaned out in January, to fill a gap in his backline at Old Trafford. The 19-year-old made his first league start of the 2025/26 season. United are already missing Harry Maguire through injury, while Leny Yoro found himself on the bench following a challenging game against Crystal Palace.

The fixture against Nuno Espirito Santo’s team marks the first game De Ligt has missed all season. The former Juventus and Bayern Munich defender had been ever-present in Premier League action and made an appearance off the bench in the Carabao Cup tie against Grimsby Town.

Amorim acknowledged the difficulty of losing De Ligt given his current form. However, the ex-Sporting boss sees it as a great opportunity for Heaven.

“It’s tough because, if you look at that position, especially this year, it’s just Harry [Maguire] and Matta playing those positions,” Amorim told Premier League Productions.

“It is a setback. He is performing exceptionally well. But I’m really excited about Ayden [Heaven]. He is working hard. I believe he has the right attributes to play there.

“It is a big opportunity for everyone to see Ayden. For Matta, it is a small thing. I expect to have Matthijs next game [at Molineux].”

However, Heaven was taken off at half-time and replaced by Yoro.

Noussair Mazraoui was also named in the squad alongside Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw, with Amad featuring as a wing-back against the Hammers. Lisandro Martinez provides further defensive cover from the substitutes’ bench.

Amorim discussed Yoro’s situation before the match, following his recent struggles. “It’s really important. I also spoke with him because he thinks too much, he makes a mistake and then he struggles,” he said.

“He wants to do everything so well. He’s growing, with games and with setbacks, it’s not easy for him as a young guy.

“He cannot show that to the people the way he came to the bench, he knows that. It shows he cares, he knows it wasn’t his best game.”