Bruno Fernandes passionately defends Joshua Zirkzee, but Ruben Amorim admits the Man United striker could leave

Rubén Amorim left the door open for Joshua Zirkzee to leave Manchester United despite Bruno Fernandes' passionate defense of the star.

Zirkzee was unexpectedly swept away just 30 minutes later red devils 2-0 defeat against Newcastle at Old Trafford last Monday.

If being substituted without an injury in the first half wasn't brutal enough, sections of United fans sarcastically applauded Zirkzee as he made his way down the tunnel before finally returning to the dugout.

However, visiting United fans backed his £36.5m summer signing during the pulsating 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield.

Fans were heard chanting Zirkzee's name on multiple occasions, confirming that they fully supported the Dutchman following the brutal reception at Old Trafford.

Amorim opted to bring on Zirkzee with four minutes left in regulation and came awfully close to providing the assist for what would have been the winning goal.

Zirkzee played on the right and was able to shoot at goal, although at a fairly tight angle.

Instead, Zirkzee took the selfless option of sending the ball to the center back. Harry Maguirewho found himself unmarked in the Liverpool area.

However, Maguire fired his shot over the bar and provoked a classic reaction from the legend of the Red Devils Gary Neville in comment.

Despite the latest agony, Amorim was happy with what he saw from Zirkzee and praised the 23-year-old's request.

But the United boss stressed that there are no guarantees over Zirkzee's future at the club.

“I want to keep Josh because he gives everything,” Amorim said.

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“He tries it in training, but we don't know, the window is open.

“We'll see what happens. We just have to focus on training and take this to the next game. So it's just one point. Let's focus on performance, let's take this to the next game.”

While Zirkzee's effort may be there, it hasn't translated into goals yet.

after him the winner scored On his Premier League debut against Fulham, Zirkzee found the back of the net just twice in his next 19 league games and has scored just four goals in 28 appearances in all competitions for Man United.

Both goals came in the same match in which United defeated Everton 4-0 on December 1.

In Zirkzee's defence, he has been substituted 13 times in the 20 league games he has participated in, meaning he has not had much time to adapt to the games.

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But that hasn't stopped sections of the United fanbase from becoming impatient with Zirkzee given his lack of attacking output compared to his transfer fee.

Captain Fernandes has since moved in to protect Zirkzee from the storm, although he acknowledged his teammates must understand the pressure and expectations that come with representing a team of United's stature.

“Everyone's been saying that after what happened to Josh last week,” Fernandes said.

“Everyone is a little afraid sometimes of stepping into these big stages, but we need to understand the club we play for. We need to understand the demands of playing for this club.

“But at the same time, I'm really frustrated by what happened to Josh, because I was in the stands and I've never seen anything like this.

“And it really frustrates and bothers me because he is a player who always gives everything. He always tries like a player who is coming into the team.”

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Although Fernandes admitted that Zirkzee “needs time to adapt”, he reiterated that the Dutchman “has enormous qualities” and he has not lost that overnight.

“He hasn't shown all his quality, but it can't be that from the first game of the season everyone was enthusiastic about him,” Fernandes said.

“One of the best forwards and now not everyone believes in him. We do believe in him in the locker room.

“We really believe he can give us a lot of good things and we are going to support him and obviously I would rather be in his position myself against Newcastle than see one of my team-mates achieve that.”

United's next game isn't until January 12, when they travel to the Emirates Stadium for an FA Cup third-round clash against Arsenal.

But that trip to face the Gunners is the start of a run of six games for the Red Devils in the space of 18 days, meaning Amorim is looking to rotate and keep his team fresh.

The changes could mean Zirkzee gets another chance to remind United fans of his quality and get the goals his production supposedly warrants.