Manchester United Faces Ipswich Town Amid Injury Crisis

Manchester United’s bruising start to the Premier League season is about to meet its next test – and Michael Carrick will have to face it without a raft of key players.

Nine absentees are expected between United and visitors Ipswich Town for the Old Trafford clash, a game that already carries an edge after United’s humbling opening defeat.

United reeling, Ipswich rising

United were beaten 2-0 by Hull City on the opening weekend, a result that cut deep given Hull had been widely tipped for a relegation fight. The performance was flat, the reaction inside the club anything but.

Since then, United have splashed out £70million on Carlos Baleba from Brighton and Hove Albion, a statement signing designed to jolt the midfield into life. He will not be the one to do it against Ipswich.

Despite the fanfare around his arrival, Carrick confirmed Baleba is set to miss out. The new signing is nursing an ankle issue that United already knew about before completing the deal. The manager expects him to be out for “maybe a couple of weeks or so, three weeks,” describing it as “no major issue” but still enough to keep him off the Old Trafford pitch for now.

Ipswich arrive in a very different mood. Written off as heavy underdogs on the opening weekend, they went to Sunderland and won. Gary O’Neil’s side now head to Manchester with points on the board and a sense that this is a good time to catch United.

Diallo, Mount and De Ligt all sidelined

Carrick will be without Amad Diallo again. The winger picked up a minor injury in training and missed the Hull defeat. That absence will continue.

“Amad won’t be involved, he’ll be out for a little bit longer,” Carrick said, shutting down any hope of a quick return for the Ivorian.

Mason Mount is also set to miss the game, though there is at least a hint of optimism around him. The midfielder has stepped up his workload and rejoined the group in training this week.

“Mase is back around the group, he trained this week, so a real positive,” Carrick explained, suggesting his comeback is close, just not close enough for Ipswich.

At the back, Matthijs De Ligt remains a long-term absentee, but there is finally light at the end of the tunnel. The Dutch defender has been out for a “long period of time,” as Carrick put it, but is now back in training and edging nearer to a return.

“He won’t be involved, but he’s in good shape and moving in a good direction, so that’s a good bonus for us really, at this stage, to have him back,” Carrick added. For now, though, it’s encouragement rather than reinforcement.

Even in goal, United are short. Backup goalkeeper Tom Heaton is still unavailable after suffering an injury in the pre-season friendly against PSG. Carrick has not put a timeframe on his return, leaving Andre Onana’s understudy options thinner than planned.

Ipswich’s own injury list

O’Neil does not escape the injury problems either. Ipswich will travel without four players who all missed the win at Sunderland and remain sidelined.

Jaden Philogene is out with an ankle problem. He sat out the opener and will not recover in time for Old Trafford.

Florentino Luis is also ruled out. A calf injury kept him out against the Black Cats and continues to do so, depriving Ipswich of a key presence in midfield.

Azor Matusiwa, another absentee from last weekend, is still struggling with a thigh complaint and will miss out again, while Jack Taylor remains on the treatment table with a knee injury after being unable to feature in the Premier League opener.

A test of depth and nerve

United’s squad will be stretched, but the pressure is not on the team sheet – it is on the response. A club that just lost to relegation favourites at Hull cannot afford another misstep at home, not with Ipswich already proving they are in no mood to play the role of grateful guests.

With big-money signings in the stands, key names still in rehab and an opponent riding the high of an upset win, Old Trafford is about to find out how quickly Carrick’s side can steady themselves.