AMORIM'S MISSING HIS THREE WISE MEN

Bleak Christmas without Fernandes, Diallo and Mbeumo

- BY TYRONE MARSHALL

RUBEN AMORIM admits it was a Christmas with none of the trimmings at Old Trafford - and his New Year's looking short of fizz as well.

Amorim's three most tinsel-toed creatives went missing last month - and left Manchester United to endure a fairly grim run of festive performances.

The United boss has blamed his side's lack of Yuletide flair on the absence of Bruno Fernandes, Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo and said "any team in the world" would miss players of that quality.

United were without Amad and Mbeumo for the games against Aston Villa, Newcastle and Wolves as they were on Africa Cup of Nations duty - where they remain as their respective nations have now made it to the knockout stages.

Fernandes limped off at halftime at Villa Park, missed the following two fixtures, and is still not ready to return today.