Manchester United Injury Update: Carrick on Hull Opener

Manchester United head into the new Premier League season with a squad that is slowly knitting itself back together, but still carrying scars from a bruising summer.

Michael Carrick fronted up on Thursday with a detailed injury rundown before United’s lunchtime trip to Hull City at the MKM Stadium, seven days after a chaotic 4-2 defeat to Milan in Wroclaw that several key players watched from afar.

Some are back. One is close. One is nowhere near. And one return in particular could not be better timed.

Sesko finally back on the grass

The headline boost comes up front.

Benjamin Sesko has not played a minute of pre-season after a shin problem that wrecked the end of his debut campaign and flared again in May during United’s win over Liverpool at Old Trafford. He battled through the issue last season before it finally forced him out.

Now, at last, he is back.

“Ben [Sesko] is back training, so that's another positive,” Carrick confirmed. “Looking forward to having him back around the group and getting him some minutes as well.”

Sesko has trained fully at Carrington this week and, fitness permitting, is in line to feature in some capacity against Hull. For a side that looked short of a focal point in Wroclaw, that matters.

Darlow return eases growing goalkeeping strain

Behind him, the goalkeeping picture has been stretched thin.

Karl Darlow, a summer arrival, has yet to make his United debut after undergoing surgery at the end of last season. He finished the campaign with Leeds United, then turned out for Wales in early June before being shut down for the summer.

With Radek Vitek departing for Middlesbrough and Tom Heaton joining the casualty list, Senne Lammens has been first choice and Dermot Mee has been dragged into senior duty as cover.

Now there is finally some relief.

“Karl has trained this week. He's back training, so he's in good shape,” Carrick said.

If Darlow comes through the remaining sessions unscathed, he is expected to be in the matchday squad at Hull, a significant upgrade in experience on the bench at precisely the moment United need it.

Ugarte the one long-term absentee

The one case with no quick fix is Manuel Ugarte.

The midfielder suffered a serious knee ligament injury playing for Uruguay at the World Cup this summer and has already undergone surgery. United confirmed the operation went well and that he has moved into the rehabilitation phase under the club’s medical and performance staff.

Ugarte himself addressed the setback, saying he was “incredibly grateful to Uruguay and Man Utd” for their support and promising: “I'll be back stronger.”

For Carrick, it means starting the season without the combative midfielder signed to anchor his side. For Ugarte, the road back has only just begun.

Mount in “touch-and-go” territory

Mason Mount sits in the grey area between risk and reward.

The midfielder has been sidelined since limping off just 20 minutes into the 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain in Gothenburg earlier this month, a foot injury cutting short what had looked an encouraging outing. Tyler Fletcher replaced him that night, and Mount has not played since.

United have shuffled through options in his absence: Andrey Santos and Fletcher together against Leeds, then Santos with Youri Tielemans last weekend.

Carrick hinted Mount is close, but not quite over the line.

“We are managing Mason [Mount] a little bit, but he's very close, so it's touch-and-go for the weekend, really, if not going into next week,” he said.

United must now decide whether to roll the dice on opening day or hold him back for the fixtures that follow.

De Ligt back in training, but not yet in battle

At the back, there is cautious optimism.

Matthijs de Ligt is training again after back surgery that wiped out the final six months of his season. His last appearance came in late November, and the long lay-off has forced United to be patient.

Carrick made it clear that patience will extend at least one game further.

“Matt [De Ligt] has obviously been out for a long period of time, but he's training and great to have him back,” the manager said. “Well, he won't be involved, but he's in good shape and moving in a good direction, so that's really a good bonus for us, really, at this stage, to have him back.”

For now, De Ligt is a training-ground boost rather than a matchday option. That will change soon enough, but not at Hull.

Heaton blow underlines importance of Darlow

Tom Heaton’s situation underpins why Darlow’s return is so important.

The veteran goalkeeper picked up what initially looked like a minor problem against PSG a fortnight ago, when Mee came on to replace the 40-year-old. Early assessments were relaxed. Reality has been harsher.

This weekend, Heaton is due to learn the full extent of the damage, but United already expect him to miss at least a few weeks. It leaves Carrick short on experienced cover at precisely the time the season kicks off.

Darlow’s reappearance on the training pitch, then, is more than a footnote. If he is deemed fit enough to take a place on the bench at the MKM Stadium, he is likely to step straight in as Lammens’ understudy and push Mee back down the pecking order.

United arrive at Hull with Sesko back, Darlow ready, Mount close, De Ligt waiting and Ugarte watching from afar. It is not a clean bill of health, but it is a squad slowly edging towards full strength. How quickly those returning players can hit their stride may shape the opening weeks of Carrick’s season.