Ruben Amorim insists Man Utd will 'come first' in January transfer update on out-of-favour duo Kobbie Mainoo & Joshua Zirkzee

Mainoo has managed just 259 minutes for Manchester United so far this season, while Zirkzee has made only five substitute appearances and hasn't featured since the win over Brighton in October. Their lack of game time means that both players have been linked with January exits despite Amorim having said earlier this season "we need everyone" when quizzed on the possibility of the duo moving on.

Amorim has now been asked about about both players again and says he wants to help them out but the club's needs must come first.

"I was a football player," he told reporters. "I understand everything, and I want to help my players in every situation. I understand the frustration of some players, seeing the World Cup is there. I know what it means. But the first thing is that the club comes first. If I can help the club and the players, I will be happy. If not I have to think about the team."

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Manchester United's transfer plans are likely to be affected by the club's current injury situation and the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations tournament. The Red Devils are set to lose Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui to the tournament, with the trio set to miss key fixtures over the festive period. Amorim is also currently without striker Benjamin Sesko due to a knee injury that is expected to keep him out for a month. The situation could offer Mainoo and Zirkzee the chance for more minutes at Old Trafford in the coming weeks and will also certainly factor into the club's thinking if any offers arrive for the duo in the January transfer window.

Mainoo and Zirkzee are not the only players having a difficult time at Manchester United at present. Midfielder Manuel Ugarte has struggled to find his best form and has come in for criticism during his time at Old Trafford. Amorim, who worked previously with Ugarte at Sporting, has even reportedly criticised the midfielder in front of the whole squad, calling his work rate into question at a team meeting.

Amorim has now admitted that Uruguay international is not at his best but hopes he can improve. He added: "You can sense that a lot of very good players come here, and sometimes they struggle. He is struggling in the moment, but it is our job to try to help our players, and again, everything can change, and you saw it five weeks ago, the environment was completely different. So I know that Ugarte is struggling in the moment, and my job is trying to help him to feel as a player, like I felt when he was a sporting player, for example. But it is a different world, and he needs to adapt, and he needs to improve, especially in training."

Manchester United are back in Premier League action on Monday against Everton at Old Trafford and will be aiming to extend their current five-match unbeaten run. Yet Amorim sounded wary ahead of the game against David Moyes' men despite his team's recent upturn in form. He explained: "I don't like to say the storm is over. It's my job, especially in our club, to always have that feeling [that a storm is coming]. It gives me the sense of urgency in every training [session] and, in the Premier League, everything can change so fast because all the teams can win any game."