Patrick Dorgu has returned to Manchester United training ahead of the vital Champions League clash against Roma, providing a timely boost for manager Michael Carrick. The defender has not featured since the September international break, when he suffered a hamstring injury while playing for Denmark.
Dorgu has been passed fit enough to train, though it is unknown whether he will be involved against the Italians. While the Dane has primarily featured as a winger under Carrick, he initially arrived as a left-wing-back.
Left-back shortage eased
The United boss has been so short of options at left full-back that he has had to deploy right-footed defenders Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui in the position. Dorgu's return is a boost for Carrick, not long after the club decided he will remain in charge for the visit of Roma.
Carrick would welcome any victory at this stage as he battles for his position, having presided over a dreadful start to the campaign that has yielded only two wins from 13 matches. Saturday's loss to Chelsea means United have now suffered three successive defeats and are without a win in nine.
Champions League concerns
Consecutive Champions League losses to Atletico Madrid and Como have left United anxious about their prospects in the tournament, with a top-24 finish needed to secure at least a play-off spot in February. United still have fixtures against RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich at Old Trafford to come, while away trips to Sporting CP and Villarreal remain on the calendar.
Carrick was devastated after the defeat to Chelsea, particularly as United played one of their best halves of football this season. United would have had a 1-0 lead at half time had Matheus Cunha not strayed into a marginally offside position before tapping the ball into the net. United went behind to a quick early goal from Morgan Rogers after half time and then imploded when Lisandro Martinez conceded a penalty and needlessly got himself sent off for striking Wesley Fofana in the face.
Carrick's reaction
After the match, Carrick said: "There is a lot of emotion. We're a great football club, and we want to win football matches. Things have gone against us and gone against us in a big way. Unravelled quickly."
"There's a lot of emotion right now. We have got to move forward and take the things that worked for us today. A lot of the good things, especially in the first half and use that moving forward."
"The supporters come, make a lot of effort, pay a lot of money to watch us play. You can see from today the boys had the game in the right place and things have gone against us."
United need a win to keep their hopes of staying in the Champions League alive.
