Manchester United Squad Update: Injuries and New Signings Ahead of PSG Friendly
Manchester United’s summer finally catches up with them this weekend. The World Cup, the injuries, the late returns – it all shows in Michael Carrick’s squad list for the glamour friendly with PSG.
A new midfielder, delayed by Belgium’s run to the quarter-finals, is at last available to his new manager. His first minutes in red have been a long time coming, but the wait is over and Carrick can finally call on him.
Others are not so lucky.
Rashford, Mainoo and Martinez still sidelined
The 21-day mandatory post-tournament break continues to bite. England duo Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo, along with Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez, remain unavailable as they complete their rest period after World Cup duty.
Benjamin Sesko is out too, still troubled by the shin injury that cut short his season last term. His absence leaves United light in terms of a focal point in attack, even with Bryan Mbeumo in form.
Senne Lammens and Matheus Cunha are missing as well. Cunha only returned to training this week after his own World Cup campaign with Brazil, but neither he nor Lammens is ill in a footballing sense. United confirmed both are recovering from minor, unrelated illnesses and will rejoin the group at the training camp in the Republic of Ireland next week.
That camp carries its own significance: a historic meeting with old rivals Leeds at Croke Park in Dublin on Wednesday night. For now, though, all eyes are on PSG.
Fernandes returns, Dalot and Mazraoui travel
Carrick has named a 22-man travelling squad for Friday’s clash, and it is captained once again by Bruno Fernandes. The midfielder’s presence immediately stiffens United’s spine and restores a familiar authority to the side.
He is joined by defenders Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui. Of that trio, only Mazraoui starts, a nod to his sharpness and perhaps to Carrick’s desire to get him fully integrated as quickly as possible.
Up front, the shirt stays with Bryan Mbeumo. He leads the line again after scoring twice in the 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid in Stockholm last weekend, a performance that underlined his growing importance in this pre-season programme.
The romantic subplot from that match does not continue. Fifteen-year-old JJ Gabriel, who made his senior debut in Stockholm, drops out of the squad, as does fellow youngster Jim Thwaites. Both had a taste of first-team football; now they step back while the senior players tighten their grip on minutes.
Goalkeeping depth stretched thin
Behind them, the picture in goal is stark.
Altay Bayindir is out of the frame entirely after sealing a loan move to Celta Vigo on Friday. With Lammens unavailable and new signing Karl Darlow still sidelined following minor surgery carried out during his time at Leeds late last season, United are short of experienced options between the posts.
Radek Vitek has also departed, joining Middlesbrough on a permanent deal worth up to £14 million. The pathway is clear, but the depth chart is thin.
That leaves 40-year-old Tom Heaton as the starter once more, a veteran presence holding the fort while the club recalibrates. Behind him, Dermot Mee and teenager Fred Heath step up as understudies, thrust closer to the action than they might have expected at this stage of the summer.
Long-term injury blows
The bad news does not stop there.
Midfielder Manuel Ugarte faces months on the sidelines after undergoing surgery in July on a serious knee injury suffered at the World Cup with Uruguay. His absence rips a chunk of energy and aggression out of United’s midfield options before he has had a real chance to settle.
Matthijs de Ligt is also not yet ready to return from a long-term back problem. For Carrick, that means another high-profile defender stuck in the treatment room while the season’s foundations are being laid.
So the picture is clear. A new Belgian midfielder finally steps into the frame, Fernandes pulls the armband back on, and Mbeumo carries the attacking threat. Around them, gaps remain – in goal, in defence, in the heart of midfield.
Pre-season is about rhythm and readiness. For United, it is also about how quickly this patched-together group can start to look like a team built for the months that really matter.
