Carrick addressed the media at the Carrington training complex, outlining the current fitness status of key squad members. United had been out of action for roughly three weeks, with their previous Premier League fixture ending in a 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage. The focus was on how the squad would shape up for the upcoming match against Tottenham on Saturday evening.
Patrick Dorgu — out
Patrick Dorgu, the 21-year-old Danish left-back, was involved in October fixtures but had to come off in the first half of Denmark’s match with Wales. Carrick confirmed that Dorgu will miss the Tottenham game and is expected to be sidelined for several weeks due to a hamstring injury.
Carlos Baleba — doubt
Carlos Baleba, United’s summer signing from Brighton, has been sidelined by an ankle issue. He played in a behind-closed-doors friendly during the October break and has been making progress in training. Carrick indicated Baleba is improving and has trained extensively, but his involvement against Tottenham remains uncertain.
Benjamin Sesko — miss
Benjamin Sesko missed the 1-1 draw with Fulham due to a flare-up of a previous shin problem and did not feature for Slovenia during the October international window. Carrick stated that Sesko is not yet ready for selection and will remain unavailable for the Tottenham match at Old Trafford.
Noussair Mazraoui — doubt
Noussair Mazraoui pulled up with a knock in Morocco’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Lesotho. Carrick noted that Mazraoui is not quite right and will be assessed ahead of the Tottenham game, leaving his availability in doubt.
Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford and Amad Diallo — doubts
Carrick provided an update on Mainoo, Rashford, and Diallo, saying they had done a light amount of training. Amad Diallo has not featured for United this season due to an ankle injury sustained in pre-season, while Rashford and Mainoo were previously called up to England duty but were withdrawn from international duty by their national team managers.
Matthijs de Ligt — doubt
Matthijs de Ligt has progressed in his recovery from a long-term back issue and played in a behind-closed-doors friendly. He had missed the latter part of the previous season due to back problems and underwent surgery in the summer, but his return to full participation is being monitored ahead of upcoming fixtures.
Karl Darlow — doubt
Karl Darlow was withdrawn from the Wales squad during the October international break and has since been on an individual recovery plan to address fitness concerns.
Tom Heaton — miss
Tom Heaton has been unavailable in the early months of the 2026-27 season due to a hamstring injury sustained during the summer tour.
Manuel Ugarte — miss
Manuel Ugarte is undergoing rehabilitation after suffering a severe ACL injury during Uruguay’s World Cup campaign. He underwent knee surgery in July and is not expected to return until 2027, meaning he will miss the remainder of 2026.
