Manchester United's winless run stretched to nine matches on Saturday as they fell 2-0 at Chelsea, though the club's injury picture brightened slightly. Kobbie Mainoo made a long-awaited return to the squad after several weeks out with a muscular problem, coming off the bench in the second half. He could not spark a comeback, however, as Lisandro Martinez was sent off and left his teammates fighting an uphill battle.
Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw remained absent, with a pivotal Champions League match against Roma scheduled for Tuesday. Here is the latest on United's injured players and their potential return dates.
Amad Diallo and Marcus Rashford
Amad Diallo started at Stamford Bridge and impressed in the first half before being forced off shortly before full-time. He went down off the ball, received treatment, and was replaced by Joshua Zirkzee, appearing to have picked up a muscular issue. No update on his condition was offered at full-time, suggesting the problem is not serious.
Rashford was expected to be fit for Chelsea but was again left out of the matchday squad. He has been managing a hip issue since early October, though he has returned to team training and seems close to a comeback.
Luke Shaw and Benjamin Sesko
Luke Shaw may be nearing a return from the "knock" that has sidelined him since United's 1-1 draw with Tottenham earlier this month. Carrick previously used Mainoo as a benchmark, saying Shaw's recovery would take longer than the midfielder's, though the exact timeframe was unclear. With Mainoo now fit, Shaw could be approaching a return.
Benjamin Sesko faces an extended absence with the same shin injury he picked up in spring, which delayed his first appearance of the campaign. He returned in late August and seemed fully fit before reaggravating the issue. He is now expected to be out for months, with a return pencilled in for January.
"Yeah, not so positive unfortunately with Ben, he's going to be out for a period of time," Carrick said before the Chelsea trip. "We're not exactly sure yet how long, but it's going to be a significant amount of time, unfortunately. So I feel for Ben, he had the issue at the end of last season that we looked after and tried to give him as much time to recover and then unfortunately he's had the issue coming into this season. So, we've got to do what's best for Ben and he's going to have to have some time on the sidelines, unfortunately. It's not great for us, it's certainly not great for Ben, but it is part of the game and we've just got to try and make the best of it and get him back as quick as we can."
Patrick Dorgu and Manuel Ugarte
Patrick Dorgu suffered a hamstring injury while playing for Denmark during the first international break of the season. He immediately returned to Carrington for rehabilitation, and in early October Carrick said the full-back was facing "a number of weeks" on the sidelines. No further update has been issued recently.
Manuel Ugarte remains out after sustaining a serious knee ligament injury while representing Uruguay at the World Cup. He underwent surgery shortly afterward and is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2026/27 campaign.
