Man United Injury Update: Shaw, Amad, Baleba and More

Manchester United’s Carabao Cup exit to Brighton & Hove Albion came with a familiar backdrop: a treatment room that remains far too busy.

Six senior players are still sidelined. Only one of them, Luke Shaw, has a realistic chance of making it back in time for Sunday’s final game before the international break, away at Fulham.

Lisandro Martinez and Patrick Dorgu were also missing from the midweek squad, but the core of United’s problems lies with a group who have yet to kick a ball this season: Amad, Carlos Baleba, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt and Tom Heaton. Shaw makes it six out.

Amad: still waiting after pre-season setback

Amad’s summer promised a big role. He featured in United’s final four friendlies and looked ready to push for serious minutes.

Then a niggle in the final days of pre-season training stopped him cold.

The Ivory Coast winger has now missed United’s first six competitive fixtures. Michael Carrick addressed his situation on Tuesday, saying:

“Amad, not quite close in terms of days, but we’ll see as the week progresses.”

He did not make the squad against Brighton. The clock now ticks towards Fulham on Sunday, five days on from those comments. If he doesn’t make that one, the expectation is that his return will come after the international break, when the calendar opens up and the games start to stack again.

Carlos Baleba: ankle on the mend, return in sight

Carlos Baleba is yet to show United fans what he can bring.

The summer signing suffered ankle ligament damage in pre-season and has been playing catch-up ever since. The good news for United is that his rehabilitation has moved into a more advanced phase and he is edging closer to a comeback.

Carrick, speaking before the Brighton tie against Baleba’s former club, outlined where the midfielder stands:

“He’ll be back in and around the group at some point over the next week or so. So that means after international, he should be in good shape. Carlos came being injured, and then he’s desperate to get out there and be part of the group and training fully with the boys.”

The plan is clear: integrate him around the squad over the next week, then look to have him ready to contribute once club football resumes after the break.

Luke Shaw: Fulham return on the cards

Shaw’s absence has been brief but felt.

The left-back started United’s first three Premier League games of the season before a thigh issue ruled him out over the last week. He was at Old Trafford on Wednesday night, watching from the stands after Carrick had floated the possibility of him being fit in time for Brighton.

The manager had said:

“He could possibly be fit for Brighton, it’s not clear-cut. But it’s a matter of a few days rather than anything else.”

Those “few days” now point squarely towards Fulham. If Shaw comes through the remaining sessions without a setback, he should be back in the XI at Craven Cottage, which would likely keep Patrick Dorgu on the bench again after his recent rest.

Matthijs de Ligt: long road back, no firm date

Matthijs de Ligt’s absence has stretched into double figures in months.

It is now around ten and a half months since the defender last played for United, in late November, before a back injury and subsequent surgery shut him down. He returned to training with his team-mates approximately five and a half weeks ago, but training and playing are very different demands.

Carrick is refusing to pin himself to a specific date.

“Matta’s just working his way back, really, so because of the time frame and how it’s been, I don’t really want to put too much time frame on it,” he said on Tuesday.

What is clear is that De Ligt will not be back before the upcoming international break. His target lies on the other side of it, in the small window of fixtures before the next pause in the schedule.

Manuel Ugarte: the long-term absentee

Of all United’s injuries, Manuel Ugarte’s is the most severe.

The Uruguay midfielder damaged knee ligaments at the World Cup in the summer and required surgery. He remains at Carrington, working daily with United’s medical and performance staff as he navigates what the club has already described as a “long path to a full recovery.”

The club’s most recent update stated that while the operation “was a success”, Ugarte “faced a long path to a full recovery” and is “currently progressing.”

He is highly unlikely to play again before the end of 2026. There is still a slim possibility he could feature before this season finishes, but that rests entirely on how his rehabilitation unfolds over the coming months.

Tom Heaton: veteran keeper still out

Tom Heaton’s absence has flown a little under the radar, but it has altered the make-up of United’s bench.

The veteran goalkeeper suffered a hamstring injury in the pre-season friendly against Paris Saint-Germain and has not been available since. Had he been fit, he would almost certainly have been among the substitutes for the Brighton defeat.

Instead, Senne Lammens took a place on the bench as Karl Darlow made his debut, while Dermot Mee was drafted into the Champions League matchday squad against Sabah last week.

United head to Fulham with their season already carrying scars. The question now is how quickly the returning faces can help change the picture.