Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo have been ruled out of Manchester United's Champions League trip to Atletico Madrid after picking up knocks in the draw with Tottenham. Neither player travelled to the Spanish capital after missing training at Carrington on Monday morning.
Injury problems mount for Carrick
Both Shaw and Mainoo started the Premier League draw with Tottenham, but their absence adds to United's defensive issues. Left-back alternatives Noussair Mazraoui and Patrick Dorgu are also on the treatment table after injuries sustained on international duty.
Benjamin Sesko remains out, with Carrick refusing to put a timeframe on the Slovenian striker's return as the club work out the next steps to deal with a problematic shin injury.
Youngsters step up
With injuries biting in defence, academy graduate Dan Armer, 18, is part of the travelling squad and is set for a place on the bench at the Metropolitano. Matthijs de Ligt could be in a matchday squad for the first time since November 2025.
"They haven't travelled," Carrick said of Shaw and Mainoo. "Luke and Kobbie had issues in the game on Saturday, so we're kind of working through that to see where it, to see what that looks like. At the moment, they're not ready for the game tomorrow."
"We've got a couple of issues with some players missing out, but we're definitely not light on numbers," added Carrick. "I think it's good for the likes of Dan to be part of it and the young players to sample it in these types of nights, the build-up to the game, being around the group, getting a sense of it, getting a feel for it."
Fernandes fitness fears cooled
Carrick cooled fears that captain Bruno Fernandes was playing through a fitness issue. The 32-year-old needed fitness tests to face Manchester City and Fulham before the international break, and Portugal boss Jorge Jesus said he had been playing through the pain barrier for his club.
Fernandes needed treatment again during the draw with Tottenham, but Carrick said there was no concern over his availability. "I've seen there's a lot made of it, he was carrying something," he said. "I think that's pretty obvious. It happens a lot, people don't maybe realise it, but it happens a lot, players play with issues. I probably played 80% of the games with some sort of issue as you go through your career. It's not ideal, but it's kind of manageable."
"Some players are able to play with a bit more than or a bit less than others, and Bruno was able to play the games and that's the commitment that he's got to do that. So, yeah, he's pretty much over it, still there slightly, but as I said, I could go through the whole squad pointing at little bits here and there. Right now it's not a major deal, he's in good shape and he was really bright this morning, looking forward to the game."
