Man United Injury Updates: Shaw's Return, Amad and Baleba's Long Waits
Manchester United’s Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion has left more than just a dent in their season. It underlined how stretched Michael Carrick’s squad remains, with six senior players still sidelined and only one of them realistically in contention to feature before the international break.
Luke Shaw is the closest to a return and could be back for Sunday’s trip to Fulham. For the rest, the wait goes on.
Amad
Amad’s season has stalled before it even began.
The winger picked up a niggle in the final days of pre-season training, just as he looked ready to push for a serious role after featuring in United’s last four summer friendlies. Since then, he has missed all six of United’s competitive games.
Carrick addressed his situation on Tuesday, striking a cautious tone.
“Amad, not quite close in terms of days, but we'll see as the week progresses,” he said.
Five days on from those comments, Amad was still not involved against Brighton. United now face a tight turnaround before Fulham, and unless he makes rapid progress, his realistic target is a return after the international break.
Carlos Baleba
Carlos Baleba is edging nearer, but United are still having to be patient with their summer signing.
The midfielder has yet to kick a ball this season after suffering an ankle ligament injury during pre-season. His rehab has intensified in recent weeks, and there is at last a clear outline for his comeback.
Speaking before the cup tie against Baleba’s former club, Carrick offered a more optimistic update.
“He'll be back in and around the group at some point over the next week or so,” the United head coach said. “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 straightforward: integrate him around the squad in the coming days and have him ready to compete properly once club football resumes.
Luke Shaw
Shaw is the one glimmer of short-term hope.
After starting United’s first three Premier League matches, the left-back picked up a thigh issue that has kept him out for the past week. He watched from the stands at Old Trafford on Wednesday night, a visible reminder of what United are missing on that flank.
Carrick had hinted he might even make the Brighton game.
“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,” he said.
Those “few days” now point directly towards Fulham. If Shaw is passed fit, he should slot straight back into the side, which would likely keep Patrick Dorgu on the bench again after his recent rest.
Matthijs de Ligt
Matthijs de Ligt’s absence has turned into a near year-long ordeal.
The defender has not played for United since late November, a 10-and-a-half-month spell out following a back injury that required surgery. He rejoined full training with his team-mates around five-and-a-half weeks ago, but Carrick is refusing to put a firm date on his competitive return.
“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,” the manager explained on Tuesday.
What is clear is that he will not be seen before the upcoming international break. Attention now turns to the window between this one and the next, when United hope the Dutchman can finally re-emerge as an option at the heart of defence.
Manuel Ugarte
Manuel Ugarte is the long-haul case.
The Uruguay midfielder damaged knee ligaments at the World Cup in the summer and has been in recovery mode ever since. After surgery, he has been working at Carrington with United’s medical and performance staff, slowly rebuilding strength and mobility.
The club’s most recent bulletin underlined both the success and the scale of the challenge: the operation went well, he is “currently progressing”, but he faces “a long path to a full recovery”.
Any notion of a quick return has been dismissed. He is almost certain not to play again before the end of 2026, though there remains a possibility he could make it back before the end of this season if his rehab goes as well as hoped. That remains a big “if” and depends entirely on how his knee responds in the coming months.
Tom Heaton
Tom Heaton’s situation is less dramatic but still significant for United’s goalkeeping depth.
The veteran pulled his hamstring during a pre-season friendly against Paris Saint-Germain and has not featured since. Had he been fit, he would almost certainly have been among the substitutes against Brighton.
Instead, Senne Lammens took a place on the bench as Karl Darlow made his debut, while Dermot Mee was called into the Champions League squad against Sabah last week, with Heaton again missing.
United’s injury list is thinning only at the edges. Shaw might return in time to face Fulham, Baleba is almost ready to join the group, and De Ligt is inching closer. But until the cavalry fully arrives, Carrick must navigate a crucial stretch of the season with a squad still short of key pieces.
