Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim believes Lisandro Martinez can operate as a midfielder in-game following his matchwinning goal against Fulham.

Martinez scored his second goal of the month through intercepting a pass in the final third, having done similarly to break the deadlock against Liverpool at Anfield three weeks ago. His progressive play also resulted in an assist for Bruno Fernandes's winner against Rangers last week.

"They are nowadays the midfielders," Amorim said of ball-playing defenders. "Sometimes because you don’t have a lot of space between the lines, you have to find this space and they are the players that have the game in front and they have to be there with the midfielders. So it’s really important.

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"When the central defenders play well with the ball, we play well. So it's something that Licha does really well, can take the ball and he has to continue. The other guys also have to improve in that area."

Martinez was also involved in a rumbustious challenge with Adama Traore with the game goalless on the hour but avoided a yellow card. Amorim has no intention of curbing Martinez's aggression.

"I cannot spend two months saying we need to be more aggressive and fight more and then I say to Lisandro to not fight too much. It’s a balance.

"The important thing is Licha doesn’t want to harm another footballer, that is the most important thing. He wants to win and he shows in every play."

Rasmus Hojlund was recalled to the United starting XI but was substituted before the hour after an 11th game without a goal. The £72million striker has only contributed two Premier League goals all season and United are on the lookout for a goalscorer before the winter transfer window closes on February 3.

Amorim is seeing encouraging strides from Hojlund's aptitude in training but conceded there is a "disconnect" between the 21-year-old and his teammates.

"He works really hard and you can see sometimes without training there is a disconnection," Amorim admitted. "We can explain but without training sometimes it goes away when it should be near. Sometimes he goes near when he should make a run.

"We don’t have time to create that connection, we don't train these kind of things, we just talk about these things and he has a lot to improve like the teammates. Sometimes you have a good game, and another day you cannot have a good performance.

"The important thing is I see every day he wants (it) really badly, he wants to train a little bit more at the end of training and that is the best thing to improve.

"But as a footballer - and he is a young guy - sometimes you have to understand that you have a bad game but you have to continue to go to the next."