Man Utd boss Michael Carrick reveals new injuries ahead of Spurs game
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has revealed fresh fitness blowouts ahead of Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford, with Patrick Dorgu facing a period on the sidelines.
The Danish left-back picked up a hamstring issue during the international window, compounding selection troubles for United as they aim to pick up their momentum after a slow start to the campaign.
Dorgu and Sesko ruled out for Tottenham visit
Dorgu suffered his physical setback while on international duty with Denmark against Wales, forcing him off before half-time. Carrick confirmed that the defender is now set to miss the upcoming clash against Spurs.
Speaking to journalists in his pre-match press conference at Carrington, Carrick said:
“Patrick came off and looks like he’ll be out for a number of weeks.”
Striker Benjamin Sesko is also set to miss the weekend action at Old Trafford. The Slovenian forward missed United’s recent 1-1 draw against Fulham due to a shin issue and was unable to join up with his national team during the break.
Addressing Sesko’s fitness, Carrick said:
“Ben is further away with the injury he has, so he won’t be ready.”
Defensive concerns do not end there for Carrick, as Noussair Mazraoui remains a serious doubt after being forced off during Morocco’s meeting with Lesotho. Carrick noted that the full-back took a knock and is not quite right ahead of Saturday evening’s kickoff.
Boosts in training for Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo
Despite the absence of Dorgu and Sesko, Carrick offered some encouraging news regarding other key members of his squad who have recently dealt with fitness setbacks.
Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, and Amad Diallo have all returned to training at Carrington. Mainoo and Rashford had previously withdrawn from the England setup under Thomas Tuchel to focus on recovery, whilst Amad has missed the entire opening stretch of the season after damaging an ankle in pre-season.
Discussing the trio, Carrick said:
“Amad, Kobbie and Marcus have done a little bit of training.”
Summer signing Carlos Baleba could also feature in the matchday squad to make his competitive debut. The midfielder arrived from Brighton in August while recovering from an ankle problem, but he recently took part in a behind-closed-doors friendly during the break to build up his sharpness.
Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt has similarly stepped up his workload after missing significant game time due to a long-term back issue, playing in a friendly against Lausanne-Sport as he works back towards full match condition.
Carrick dismisses mounting pressure
United enter the fixture sitting 12th in the Premier League table, having collected five points from their first five matches of the top-flight campaign. Despite their sluggish opening, Spurs visit Old Trafford sitting bottom of the table with only two points to their name.
Carrick insists he is refusing to view the fixture through the prism of extra scrutiny despite United’s position and their early exit from the Carabao Cup.
Asked about Tottenham’s form, Carrick insisted that the opposition’s points total does not reflect their displays on the pitch this season, noting that Thomas Frank’s side have assembled a fresh squad and performed better than their recent results suggest.
United will hope to capitalize on home advantage on Saturday evening as they look to kickstart their league campaign after three weeks without a Premier League outing.
