Man United Face Injury Crisis After Brighton Cup Exit

Manchester United walked off to boos and bright camera flashes on Wednesday night, dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford. The defeat stung. The team sheet told its own story.

Six senior players remain sidelined. Only one of them, Luke Shaw, has a realistic chance of featuring in United’s final game before the international break, away at Fulham on Sunday.

Amad, Carlos Baleba, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt and Tom Heaton are all still out. Lisandro Martinez and Patrick Dorgu also missed the Brighton tie, though they are not among the long-term concerns. For Michael Carrick, the juggling act continues.

Amad: pre-season promise on hold

Amad’s summer had looked promising. He played in United’s final four friendlies, sharp and busy, and appeared set to play a meaningful role once the real stuff began.

Then came a niggle in the final days of pre-season. Nothing dramatic, no stretcher, no headlines. Just the kind of muscle issue that quietly lingers and, six competitive games later, still keeps him out.

Carrick addressed his situation before Brighton. “Amad, not quite close in terms of days, but we'll see as the week progresses,” he said.

The winger was nowhere to be seen on Wednesday night. Now the clock ticks towards Fulham. Five days on from those comments, United must decide whether to push him back or take the safer route and wait until after the international break. At this stage, a return on the other side of that pause looks the more likely outcome.

Carlos Baleba: edging towards a debut

Carlos Baleba has yet to kick a ball in anger for his new club. The summer signing arrived carrying an ankle ligament injury picked up in pre-season, and his United career has been stuck in the treatment room ever since.

There is finally movement. The midfielder has stepped up his rehabilitation and is edging closer to joining full sessions.

Carrick, speaking before the cup tie against Baleba’s former club, sounded cautiously upbeat. “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 won’t rush him. But once the break is out of the way, Baleba should at last be in contention to offer fresh legs in midfield.

Luke Shaw: the one short-term boost

Shaw is the closest thing United have to good news on the injury front.

The left-back started the first three Premier League games of the season, then disappeared from the line-up with a thigh problem. It has only been a week, but his absence has already forced tweaks and compromises on that flank.

He watched from the stands against Brighton, having been close to involvement. Carrick had left the door open before the 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.”

Those “few days” now point straight at Craven Cottage. If Shaw comes through the next sessions unscathed, he should be back in the XI against Fulham, likely keeping Patrick Dorgu out of the starting side again after the youngster’s recent rest.

Matthijs de Ligt: no rush after back surgery

Matthijs de Ligt’s wait goes on. It is now around ten and a half months since he last played for United, back in late November, before a back injury forced him out and ultimately led to surgery.

The Dutch defender returned to training with his team-mates roughly five and a half weeks ago. He is back on the grass, back in the rondos, back in the photos. What he is not yet back in is the matchday squad.

Carrick refuses to stick a pin in a calendar date. “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,” he said on Tuesday.

The message is clear: it will not be before the upcoming international break. United will reassess after that, with a month to go until the next pause in the calendar. De Ligt’s return is coming, but it will be on medical terms, not emotional ones.

Manuel Ugarte: the long road back

Manuel Ugarte is the one genuine long-term absentee.

The Uruguay international damaged knee ligaments at the World Cup this summer and underwent surgery in mid-July. Since then, his world has shrunk to Carrington’s rehab rooms, gym spaces and the pitches reserved for running drills.

United’s latest official update painted a mixed picture. The operation “was a success”, but the midfielder “faced a long path to a full recovery” and is “currently progressing”.

The club are not ruling out a return before the end of this season, yet the timeline is tight and depends entirely on how his knee responds. What is almost certain is that United will not see the best of Ugarte again until deep into 2026. For now, patience is the only option.

Tom Heaton: veteran still sidelined

Tom Heaton’s absence has been quieter but still significant.

The veteran goalkeeper suffered a hamstring injury during United’s pre-season friendly against Paris Saint-Germain. It forced him off that night and has kept him out since, denying Carrick an experienced option on the bench.

Had he been fit, Heaton would almost certainly have been among the substitutes against Brighton. Instead, Senne Lammens backed up Karl Darlow, who made his debut, while Dermot Mee was drafted into the Champions League squad against Sabah last week.

Heaton’s return will not transform United’s season, but in a campaign already stretched by injuries, even the goalkeeping department feels thin.

United now head to Fulham bruised, short of options and with one eye already on the international break. Shaw’s likely return offers a lift. Baleba’s and De Ligt’s looming comebacks promise more depth down the line.

The question is simple: can Carrick keep this patched-up side on track long enough for the treatment room to finally start emptying?