Ruben Amorim has admitted Manchester United "aren't helping" misfiring striker Rasmus Hojlund.

Hojlund has gone 16 games without a goal and has struck only twice in the Premier League this season. Coaching staff members are becoming impatient with the 22-year-old and one was particularly scathing of his performance in the 1-0 defeat at Tottenham earlier this month.

United signed Hojlund for £64million rising to £72m from Atalanta in July 2023 when he was 20, having been deterred from moving for Harry Kane. Hojlund tallied 16 goals in a creditable first season but the Denmark international made way for 17-year-old academy striker Chido Obi with United 2-0 down at Everton on Saturday.

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Bruno Fernandes is United's highest scorer with a modest 10 goals this term and he is the only player who has broken double figures. United have a -7 goal difference in the league after they ended last season on -1.

The club is expected to recruit a more prolific goalscorer in the summer but Amorim suggested their attacking issues were "more of a team thing than a Rasmus thing".

"I think it’s clear: we as a team aren't helping Rasmus," Amorim said. "We don’t create a lot of chances. We have a lack of threat and you can feel it in the games.

"Sometimes we are in the final third but you don’t feel like we are a very dangerous team and you feel it also when we’re defending low and sometimes the opponent is not afraid of transitions. So I have this feeling also as a coach that we are not helping the strikers.

"I think Rasmus has a lot of potential. If we improve the way we play the game he will have more opportunities to score. He came here very young and when you’re young to be the No.9 and play all the time, sometimes it’s hard. It’s everything together. The context.

"We have to look at Rasmus as a player - he has pace and he has the technique, he scores some goals that are really hard to score. Sometimes he didn’t choose the better run, sometimes he’s so anxious to touch the ball because he goes a lot of minutes without the ball and he moves away from the goal where he’s supposed to be, especially in the final third.

"We address that in training and sometimes it has to be the confidence of the player but especially the way we play. I see it in training (that he can be clinical) because we make exercises near the goal and he has the ability and he has already showed it here.

"It’s more of a team thing than a Rasmus thing. If we improve, Rasmus will improve and I have that feeling."

Hojlund's compatriot, Patrick Dorgu, drew plaudits for his performance in the 2-2 draw with Everton in what was his third successive start since arriving at the club from Lecce last month.

Dorgu, 20, made his debut against Leicester City on the right wing even though the left-footer's prime position is left back. Amorim all but conceded he had made an error by starting Dorgu on the opposite side in the FA Cup win.

"I’m happy with Patrick because he has the abilities that we look for when I saw him at Lecce," Amorim explained. "He has the physicality and technique. He’s playing better on the left side, like you guys said!

"He has a lot to improve but the good thing is in the difficult moments you can see good things in Patrick and that’s what you want when you recruit players. We addressed that issue about recruitment. We are very happy with him."

Mason Mount is closer to returning from injury than Luke Shaw. Mount has been sidelined since December 15 with a hamstring injury while Shaw suffered a setback in early February, having briefly resumed full training.

"He (Shaw)’s doing his rehab but we don’t have a date for him yet," Amorim clarified. "He (Mount)’s closer than Luke Shaw but we don’t have a specific date to return."