Malacia reveals Amorim never explained 'bomb squad' exile that left him training alone at United

Tyrell Malacia has revealed he was never given a reason for his inclusion in Manchester United’s ‘bomb squad’ under Ruben Amorim, describing the experience of training in isolation — at times alongside the under-18s — as mentally gruelling.

The Dutch left-back, 27, was among a group of players deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford that also included Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, and Jadon Sancho. While those players eventually secured moves away, Malacia found himself without a club until departing in the summer transfer window.

“I don’t know where that came from, I don’t know if it was Ruben or higher up or anything, but I never said anything about it,” Malacia told BBC Sport. “I just kept working and doing my thing even though it was difficult sometimes training in a group of five.”

Malacia’s time at United had already been disrupted by a lengthy injury layoff. Amorim handed him a handful of appearances on his return, but the Dutchman acknowledged the difficulty of recapturing form after 18 months on the sidelines. “Imagine not playing for a year and a half and adapting to everything, especially in the best league in the world and playing for such a big club,” he said. “It takes time.”

A loan spell at PSV Eindhoven for the second half of the 2024-25 season gave him the game time he needed, and he returned to United that summer expecting a genuine opportunity. Instead, he was placed in the fringe group alongside the other outcasts.

As Rashford, Garnacho, and Antony each found new clubs, Malacia was left behind. “At some point Marcus, Garnacho and even Antony left. Then I stayed on my own, training with the second team, even with the under-18s and below. It’s tough. It’s tough mentally.”

Despite the circumstances, Malacia said he refused to let his standards drop. “I could have said ‘OK, I’m not coming into training’. But I thought ‘that’s not going to help me’. It’s a reason for them to say ‘this is the reason you are with them or training on your own’. I just kept my head down and did the work.”

He also pushed back on the perception that his fitness was in question during the period. “I always stayed fit since I came back from my injury, but people didn’t know that. They were like ‘why is he not playing?’”