Amorim: United will improve, changes still to come

Ruben Amorim has promised Manchester United fans that his team will improve this season, but warned that he's not been able to make all the changes he wants in one summer.

United kick off their campaign with Arsenal's visit to Old Trafford on Sunday.

Amorim said the team is already better than the one which finished 15th last season, but the Portuguese coach has also tried to temper expectations by insisting United remain a work in progress.

"We cannot change everything in four weeks but we are better," Amorim said at a news conference on Friday.

"I know we are training harder, so we are better able to cope with the demands of the game. I am really more confident, that is clear. Step by step we are going to be a better team."

One of the reasons for optimism is a new forward line which includes Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko.

Sesko, a £73 million ($99m) signing from RB Leipzig, only arrived in Manchester last week. But Amorim left the door open for the 22-year-old to start against Arsenal.

"We didn't have a lot of time but he is ready," Amorim said.

"Physically he is ready. That is a big component in our league. He is ready to play. We will see if he is going to start.

"He has great potential in everything he does. He can play different types of football. He's going to feel that the Premier League is really aggressive.

"He's going to learn but he has great potential. I can see Ben [Sesko] being a striker for Manchester United for a lot of years, that is why we pay so much money to have a striker that will have his history in our club."

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Amorim can focus on the Premier League and domestic cup competitions this season after United failed to qualify for Europe.

It's the first time in 11 years that the club won't feature in a European competition after missing out in 2014-15.

Amorim said the aim this year is to get back into Europe quickly, which is likely to mean having to finish in the top six or seven.

"We want to return to Europe, but it is hard as a Manchester United coach to say one thing like that," Amorim said.

"We are going to fight for it. We are going to improve."