Ruben Amorim confirms decision on Bruno Fernandes as Man Utd penalty taker after captain's misses against Fulham and Brentford

Speaking ahead of taking his team to Anfield, Amorim backed his captain to return to goalscoring form from the spot after missing two from three so far this season.

He made sure to underline the 31-year-old's impressive previous penalty return across his time at Old Trafford and his career as a whole. Fernandes has scored 62 of 70 penalties, missing just eight, a conversion rate of 88.6%. His rate at United is slightly lower, scoring 39 from 45 for an 86.6% conversion rate, an impressive return nevertheless.

Amorim's words reflect the fact that Fernandes has been a reliable penalty taker throughout his time as a professional, and has bounced back from missing from the spot in the past. Though he had never previously missed twice in the same calendar year before, meaning this is new territory, but he maintains the faith of his manager ahead of Sunday's crucial North West derby (16:30 BST).

Amorim said: "Yes, he's the main taker. I think he has 70 penalties and he misses nine – two with me."

The head coach reflected on the two Fernandes has missed under him. "I'm really annoyed with that," Amorim said. "But he's really confident. He’s training [to take] the penalties, trying to understand that people are watching the way he [tries to] score penalties. So he will be ready."

"The environment is going to be loud but we are ready to play in that," he said. "If you look at last year, sometimes we play better in that kind of environment than the pressure at home. We never know what is going to happen. We showed last year there, we can handle it. The way we start the game is more important than the environment. To do a really good warm-up. To have a feeling. To understand that it's going to be tough in the first moments. I know they are ready."

Amorim claimed many in his side may not be aware of United's poor recent record at Anfield, where they have won just once in the past decade. "Football players nowadays don't watch many games, unfortunately," he said. "I have so many things to use [as inspiration] with our players. Like winning back-to-back games [in the league for the first time]. We have so much to win if we perform and win the next game. I don’t need to use those games in the past."

Amorim said of reports linking Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee with possible moves in January: "I know that in our club there is a lot of noise. You have to have news. Players are not playing. They want to play. There's a World Cup. I understand that but they are our players and we need everyone to have a good season. I'm just focused on the future of the club, on the present of the club. That is the most important thing."

United face Liverpool knowing that defeat against their greatest rivals is never acceptable to fans. The Red Devils fell to some humiliating defeats at the hands of the Reds several times during the Jurgen Klopp era, with 2023's 7-0 trouncing the worst defeat United have experienced to their rivals in history.

But the Red Devils have drawn on their last two visits to Anfield, which will give increased optimism ahead of the anticipated showdown. In the all-time charts of matches between the two sides, United have the slight edge with 91 wins to Liverpool’s 82, while the pair have drawn 71 times.

Liverpool come into the match on the back of three defeats in a week prior to the international break, while United have had a mixed start to the season and sit in 11th place despite picking up just one point away from home. Victory could prove season-changing for both sides, as it always is in a fixture of this magnitude, but its timing appears particularly significant – particularly for the under-pressure Amorim.