Ruben Amorim has shared an update regarding Ayden Heaven’s fitness following the young Manchester United player’s early exit during the match against Leicester City on Sunday.
Heaven, who transferred to the club from Arsenal for £1 million in January, had a strong performance at the King Power Stadium until he was injured in a collision with Patson Daka.
He immediately fell to the ground in distress and signaled to the bench, indicating he was experiencing ankle problems after attempting to guide the ball out for a goal kick during the incident with Daka. Notably, Sky Sports did not broadcast the moment he sustained the injury.
The 18-year-old, who was making his third consecutive appearance, was carried off on a stretcher, prompting Amorim to substitute him with Toby Collyer in the 51st minute.
This setback is particularly significant as it marked Heaven’s first start for the Red Devils in the Premier League since his transfer from the Arsenal academy in February.
The timeline for his return remains uncertain, as Amorim stated that multiple assessments will be conducted during the international break to evaluate Heaven’s condition.
‘It’s hard to know because we have to evaluate during the week,’ the Portuguese boss said in a post-match interview with Sky Sports. ‘He already played well against Arsenal and Real Sociedad.
‘Today for me was the most difficult game for him because we expect him to relax a bit, but he was so focused. It was clear today my players are at the limit. We are going to use this window to rest and recover, it will be good.
‘The feeling is completely different. When we return it will be like starting from scratch.’
Heaven participated in the full 90 minutes of the match against Real Sociedad last week, a pivotal encounter that enabled the Red Devils to advance to the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
However, his team’s performance in domestic competitions has been less than stellar, despite a motivating victory over Leicester on Sunday. Currently, United sits in 13th place in the Premier League standings, accumulating 37 points from 29 matches.
Additionally, Amorim’s squad has been eliminated from both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, suffering defeats to Fulham and Tottenham, respectively.
Heaven has the potential to become a vital component in the Portuguese manager’s strategy, which typically involves deploying three centre-backs in the defensive setup.
Earlier, Amorim commended the English defender for his noteworthy performance in San Sebastian.
“I appreciate his speed; he is effective in defending the box and possesses a well-rounded skill set. However, he has significant work ahead of him in the Premier League,” he remarked.
“We will encounter a different caliber of player, and he will face unique challenges, so we are working to manage this, considering he is still quite young.”
Heaven had to leave the field while United was already leading the match, following Rasmus Hojlund’s goal in the 28th minute, which was assisted by Bruno Fernandes.
Alejandro Garnacho followed by finding the back of the net in the middle of the second half, with the Portuguese captain getting on the scoresheets as well in the late stages of the game.
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