Man Utd make shock decision on final member of Ruben Amorim's 'bomb squad'

Malacia had been frozen out all summer, lumped into the infamous ‘bomb squad’ alongside Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Antony. While the others all found escape routes, temporary or permanent, Malacia stayed behind, his proposed loan to La Liga strugglers Elche collapsing before the deadline. Since then, he’s been training with United’s Under-21s, looking like a forgotten man. But in a twist no one saw coming, Malacia will rejoin the senior squad on Tuesday, as revealed by The Athletic.

United, however, are insistent that Malacia’s return has nothing to do with the side’s dire start or any injury crisis. Insiders claim this decision was always planned, part of a gradual reintegration for a player who has battled back from serious injury.

Malacia’s Old Trafford journey has been anything but smooth. He became Erik ten Hag’s first signing in 2022, arriving from Feyenoord for £13 million ($16m) with €2m in add-ons. His debut season at United was promising, racking up 39 appearances and looking every inch a modern full-back. Then disaster struck. A brutal knee meniscus injury wrecked his progress, keeping him sidelined for a staggering 550 days. He only re-emerged late last year, making Amorim’s very first squad against Ipswich Town in November.

United are back in action on Saturday with a tricky clash against Sunderland. Anything less than a win will only sharpen the knives for Amorim, who has faced fierce criticism for his rigid tactics. For Malacia, though, the return to the first team offers a shot at redemption, a chance to prove he can still play at the top level after a largely miserable three years.