Manchester United will be without new signing Carlos Baleba for their Premier League clash against Ipswich Town this afternoon. Michael Carrick’s side fell to a dismal 2-0 defeat to newly-promoted Hull City in their season opener last Saturday. Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos both started in United’s new-look midfield with Baleba arriving at Old Trafford in a £65million deal from Brighton this week to complete the rebuild.
Baleba injury timeline
The Cameroon international is expected to be unveiled ahead of kick-off but fans will have to wait to see him in action. An ankle injury picked up during Brighton’s pre-season campaign means he is not available today with Carrick confirming on Friday it could be another two or three weeks before he is fit to play. That timeline suggests he will be in contention to face Fulham in west London on 20 September.
United could also choose to hold him back until after the international break, resuming action against Tottenham on 10 October. Amad Diallo is also ruled out as a result of an ankle injury he picked up last week before the Hull game. Carrick did not put a timeline on his return to action but reports suggest he faces six weeks on the sidelines.
Other team news
Mason Mount was back in training this week after picking up a hamstring injury in the pre-season game against Paris Saint-Germain. The former Chelsea star featured prominently in a central midfield role before that injury struck in the summer. Matthijs de Ligt is still working his way back to full fitness after his lengthy lay-off with Manuel Ugarte a long-term absentee.
Matheus Cunha was fairly ineffective through the middle against Hull with Benjamin Sesko’s presence missed. The Slovenia international didn’t play a minute of pre-season due to a shin problem but could be required to start today. Marcus Rashford made a good case for a starting role after coming off the bench at half-time against the Tigers while Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez will also be in contention.
Match details and how to watch
Manchester United take on Brighton today (Sunday 30 August) with kick-off scheduled for 4:30pm. You can watch the match live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event with streaming also available through the Sky Go app and NOW TV for subscribers. You can also follow all the action with Metro’s LIVE matchday blog.
