Patrick Dorgu has returned to Manchester for assessment after picking up a hamstring injury while on international duty with Denmark, leaving Manchester United's recruitment team facing fresh scrutiny.
The 21-year-old was forced off after half an hour of Denmark's game against Wales last weekend, and the issue was serious enough to send him back to his club for evaluation. It is his second hamstring injury in nine months, having previously spent three months on the sidelines with a similar problem in January.
Cover concerns for Carrick
A lengthy lay-off would be problematic for Michael Carrick, who is aware that Luke Shaw cannot play two games per week. Shaw returned from a three-game absence to feature against Fulham before the international break, but with fixtures coming thick and fast when domestic action resumes, he will need to be rotated.
Dorgu had been deputising for Shaw during his absence. If the Dane is facing a spell on the sidelines, Carrick would have to turn to Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui or Harry Amass to cover, which is not ideal.
To make matters worse, Mazraoui may not be available as a backup after coming off with an injury during Morocco's game against Lesotho on Tuesday. The defender went down in the 69th minute, signalling for medical attention, and was subsequently replaced.
Summer transfer questions
Mazraoui's substitution may have simply been a precaution, but it does look like Dorgu could be unavailable for a run of games. That would add weight to arguments that Carrick was let down by the club's failure to sign another left-back in the summer transfer window.
United wanted a left-back after strengthening their midfield but ended the window without a new addition, despite knowing Shaw could not start every game in a 60-match-plus campaign. Lewis Hall was the dream target, but even if Newcastle had been willing to sanction a sale, they would not have let the England international leave for a fee United would have been comfortable with. An educated estimate of Hall's value was around £70m across the summer, and he has since signed a contract extension at St. James' Park until 2031, so a deal would not be any cheaper next year.
Recruitment gamble
When it became clear Hall was not available, United should have brought in a cheaper left-back, someone who may not have the quality to be first choice but would be good enough to fill in. It was predictable that Shaw would pick up an issue - he did just three weeks into the campaign - and the squad would obviously be left short if Dorgu picked up an injury.
United kept their powder dry because they did not believe there was a suitable option on the market. Jorge Salinas had a £15m release clause, but United were clearly not convinced by the Racing Santander left-back. That is when the data department and network of scouts should have presented suitable alternatives.
United's decision-makers gambled that Shaw and Dorgu could stay fit, but the former's injury record is well-documented, and the latter is now facing a spell on the sidelines with a second hamstring injury in nine months. Jason Wilcox and the remainder of the recruitment team should be sweating after seeing Dorgu pick up an issue. Carrick has not helped himself with some mistakes this season, but there is no doubt he was let down in the summer.
