Man United Injury Updates: Shaw's Hope and Long Waits for Amad and De Ligt

Manchester United walked off a bruised Old Trafford pitch on Wednesday night with more than just a Carabao Cup exit to digest. Michael Carrick is still trying to navigate a mounting injury list, and only one of his six absentees looks remotely close to easing the strain before the international break.

Luke Shaw is that glimmer of light. Around him, the picture is far less encouraging.

Amad: Pre-season promise on hold

Amad’s summer threatened to force Carrick’s hand. The Ivory Coast winger featured in United’s final four friendlies, looked sharp, and then, right at the end of pre-season, felt something.

A “niggle”, as Carrick called it, has now kept him out of United’s first six competitive games.

Speaking before the Brighton tie, Carrick admitted: “Amad, not quite close in terms of days, but we'll see as the week progresses.” Five days on from those words, he was still nowhere near the squad.

Fulham away on Sunday now looks tight. If that comes too soon, the realistic target becomes after the international break, when United will expect him to finally kick-start his season.

Carlos Baleba: Close, but not quite there

Carlos Baleba is yet to kick a ball for his new club. The summer signing arrived with an ankle ligament injury from his time with Brighton & Hove Albion and has spent the opening weeks in the treatment room and gym.

The midfielder has recently stepped up his rehabilitation and is edging towards a return to full training.

Before facing his former side in midweek, Carrick outlined the plan: “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.”

United expect to see him properly in contention once club football resumes after the break. For now, his impatience has to wait a little longer.

Luke Shaw: Racing the clock for Fulham

Shaw is the one United player who might actually turn concern into good news this week.

The left-back started the first three Premier League games of the season before a thigh issue stopped him in his tracks. He has missed the last week but was at Old Trafford on Wednesday night, a visible sign that his lay-off is more precaution than crisis.

Carrick revealed before the Brighton defeat: “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 directly at Craven Cottage. If Shaw comes through, Patrick Dorgu, who was rested in midweek, is likely to find himself back on the bench again.

Matthijs de Ligt: Long road back

For Matthijs de Ligt, this has been a lost year in red.

The Dutch defender has not played for United since late November, a 10-and-a-half-month absence caused by a back injury that required surgery. He rejoined training with his team-mates around five-and-a-half weeks ago, but Carrick is refusing to rush or overpromise.

“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 head coach said on Tuesday.

United expect his return to come sometime after the upcoming international break. Then there is only a month until the next one. Every session now is about building robustness, not just ticking a box on a calendar.

Manuel Ugarte: The long-term absentee

Manuel Ugarte is the one name Carrick knows he cannot plan around this autumn.

The Uruguay midfielder suffered a knee ligament injury at the World Cup in the summer and underwent surgery in mid-July. He has been working at Carrington with United’s medical and performance staff since.

The club’s latest update confirmed the operation “was a success” but stressed he “faced a long path to a full recovery” and is “currently progressing”. The expectation is that he will almost certainly not play again before the end of 2026, though there remains a possibility he could return before the end of this season if his rehabilitation goes perfectly.

For now, Ugarte’s battle is a private one, far from the noise of matchdays.

Tom Heaton: Veteran still sidelined

Tom Heaton’s absence has been quieter, but it still matters.

The veteran goalkeeper pulled up with a hamstring injury in United’s pre-season friendly against Paris Saint-Germain and has not featured since. Had he been fit, he would almost certainly have been on the bench against Brighton.

Instead, Senne Lammens took the reserve spot as Karl Darlow made his debut. Dermot Mee also made the Champions League matchday squad against Sabah last week, underlining how far down the pecking order Heaton’s injury has pushed United.

Six out, one maybe back for Fulham, and a manager juggling timelines as quickly as he is juggling tactics. With the season barely underway and the schedule only tightening, how long can United keep absorbing these blows before the damage starts to show on the table as clearly as it does on the treatment list?