Manchester United return to Premier League action this lunchtime when they visit Hull City. Expectations are high for the Reds, with Champions League football back on the agenda as they look to compete across four competitions this season.
United are favourites against their newly-promoted opponents today, but they have a number of injury issues ahead of the big kick-off. Benjamin Sesko and Karl Darlow missed the entirety of pre-season through injury, Matthijs de Ligt has been absent since last year, and Mason Mount picked up a knock against Paris Saint-Germain that has kept him sidelined since that game.
Sesko and Darlow back in training
Benjamin Sesko has been out since the victory over Liverpool in May after colliding with the advertising hoardings during that game. When asked about the striker on Thursday, Michael Carrick said: "Ben [Sesko] is back training. So that's again another positive. Looking forward to having him back around the group and getting him some minutes as well." His potential return date is August 22 against Hull.
Karl Darlow had a pre-existing issue before joining United this summer, which meant he did not play for the Reds during pre-season. However, Carrick has confirmed he is in contention to feature on Saturday. "Yeah, Karl [Darlow] has trained this week. He's back training, so he's in good shape," the head coach said. His potential return date is also August 22.
De Ligt and Mount updates
Matthijs de Ligt picked up a back issue last year. Initially deemed only minor, he underwent surgery towards the end of last season, ensuring he missed pre-season. Recently, De Ligt has been back on the grass at Carrington, and Carrick provided a positive update on Thursday. He said: "Matt [De Ligt] has obviously been out for a long period of time, but he's training and great to have him back. Well, he won't be involved, but he's in good shape and moving in a good direction. So that's really a good bonus for us really at this stage to have him back." His return date remains unknown.
Mason Mount was replaced during the draw with PSG, and Carrick was quick to suggest it was not serious. However, he missed the final two pre-season games of the summer and is a doubt for today. When pressed on Mount's fitness, the United head coach said he was not worried. "I think, first of all, Mason is a top player. Top player," he said. "I think we've seen that so far pre-season. He was one of our best players in the early stages in the games that he played in. I thought he was fantastic. So not surprising, it's what I've seen before, what I expect, what I know of him. And he's picked up a little bit of a knock. There's no drama. It's maybe, it's been a week or so, 10 days or whatever it's been. So it's nothing major."
"Yeah, of course, he's missed some football over recent years and he wants to be fit, he wants to be in that full rhythm, and he wants to stay fit. So we're doing our best to help him do that, but he's a top player, Mason. It's the same as the group. We've got to manage the squad. There's going to be injuries through the season. We've got to have a squad that's strong enough to have a really good top starting team with the depth to carry us through the season. Mason will be back very, very soon, if not immediately, so it's all good." His potential return date is August 30 against Ipswich.
Heaton and Ugarte setbacks
Tom Heaton was forced off against PSG after overstretching for the ball when rushing to make a clearance. He is expected to be out for a few weeks, with a potential return date of September 6 against Everton.
Manuel Ugarte is the furthest United player away from an injury return. He was taken off on a stretcher during Uruguay's defeat to Spain at this summer's World Cup. The midfielder shed light on his injury afterwards. "Suffering the most serious injury a footballer can face in one of the most important matches in my country's history, and seeing it end this way without being able to stay on the pitch and support my team-mates until the final whistle, is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life," he wrote on social media.
"Hitting rock bottom will make me stronger in every sense, and I truly believe that's the case here. Without a doubt, when life wants you to stop, it finds a way to let you know. It's up to me to take the positives from this. Success in life is about starting again every time you fall." His potential return date is 2027.
