Manchester United are hopeful of a quadruple injury boost ahead of their Champions League tie against Como on Wednesday, with Lisandro Martinez, Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw and Ayden Heaven all in contention to feature.
Michael Carrick's side travel to Italy on the back of a 1-1 draw against Leeds at the weekend, a result that stretched their winless run to six games across all competitions. The point, described by Carrick as a “step in the right direction”, came at a cost as Martinez emerged as a doubt for the midweek showdown.
Martinez and Mainoo fitness concerns
Martinez played the first half at Elland Road and went in at the break with United 1-0 up thanks to Bryan Mbeumo's smart finish 10 minutes before half-time. However, he did not appear for the second half as he was replaced by a returning Noussair Mazraoui before joining the rest of the substitutes on the bench.
Carrick has since confirmed Martinez picked up a knock. “He felt his thigh a little bit,” the Man United boss told reporters. It remains to be seen how serious the thigh issue is, with a further update expected on Tuesday at the latest when the squad trains at Carrington.
Mainoo has missed United's last two games after playing 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw with Tottenham following the international break. The nature of the midfielder's issue has not been disclosed, but speaking before the draw with Leeds, Carrick revealed Mainoo was “close” to making the squad at Elland Road, suggesting a return is not far away.
Shaw, Heaven and Dorgu updates
Luke Shaw is in a similar position to Mainoo, with his absence causing a reshuffle at left-back as Heaven and Diogo Dalot have both filled in there over the past week. Shaw could be back in action against Como, making his first Champions League appearance of the season.
Heaven went from a starter in Madrid to not even making the matchday squad against Leeds. It has been widely reported that his absence is down to illness, so it is just a case of seeing how quickly he can make a full recovery.
Patrick Dorgu started for Denmark against Wales in the Nations League last month but was hauled off with 30 minutes on the clock after sustaining a hamstring injury. Speaking ahead of the 1-1 draw with Tottenham, Carrick said: “It looks like he'll be out for a number of weeks.”
Sesko and other long-term absentees
Benjamin Sesko has suffered a fresh flare-up of the shin injury which saw him miss the last few games of his debut season at United. He had seemed to be back at full fitness after featuring against Hull, Ipswich, Everton, Sabah, Manchester City and Brighton, but was left out of the squad for the trip to Fulham and has missed the last three games since the international break.
Speaking before the Leeds game, Carrick insisted it was too early to set a timeframe on a return for the striker. “Ben's kind of still undergoing a couple of checks before we update on timelines or anything,” the Man United head coach told reporters. “We're just trying to be clear with what that looks like. He's still a little bit further away, but when we know we'll let you know.”
Manuel Ugarte has not played a single minute for United this season after his World Cup was cut short due to a ligament injury suffered while representing Uruguay. The midfielder was stretchered off during Uruguay's 1-0 defeat by Spain in the group phase and is not expected to return until 2027. The 25-year-old has started on the long path to recovery, pictured in the gym at Carrington under the watchful eye of the medical and performance staff.
Tom Heaton, United's veteran third-choice goalkeeper, suffered a hamstring injury after starting in a pre-season friendly against Paris Saint-Germain in Sweden on August 8 and has not been involved since.
