Manchester United have a ticking timebomb Ruben Amorim cannot allow to go off

Sunday's clash with Ipswich Town will mark the beginning of a relentless period for Manchester United and new head coach Ruben Amorim.

United's first trip to Portman Road in 22 years will mark the first of 11 fixtures they must navigate their way through before the end of the year, with a home clash against Newcastle United on December 30 marking their final outing of 2024.

It means time on the training ground between matches is going to be minimal for Amorim, particularly when you consider six of his first 11 games are on the road.

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However, as a counter argument, a high volume of games in a relatively short period of time offers Amorim the opportunity to hit the ground running. If United win their first couple of games under the 39-year-old, for example, they will be itching to get out on the pitch for the next one and so forth.

Regardless of the start Amorim makes to his United premiership, rotation is going to have to be a key part of his thinking over the coming weeks. Navigating 11 matches, spanning three different competitions, in the space of 37 days is going to take its toll.

United's upcoming run features a midweek fixture, including the traditional Boxing Day round of fixtures, in each of the next five weeks, featuring a mouthwatering Premier League trip to Arsenal, a Europa League tussle with Viktoria Plzen in the Czech Republic and a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur in the capital just before Christmas.

Following last season's November international break, United played 10 games between the restart and the end of 2023, winning three, drawing two and