Manchester United Injury Update: De Ligt, Mount, Sesko, and More

Manchester United are one week out from the Premier League opener at Hull, and Michael Carrick’s biggest opponent right now isn’t AC Milan in Dublin. It’s the treatment room.

United close their pre-season schedule against Milan today, with Carrick praying the final whistle comes without fresh damage. Several key players are already nursing problems, and some of them are nowhere near ready for competitive action.

Here’s where United stand with seven days to go.

Matthijs de Ligt – long road back

Injury: Back
Possible return date: Unknown

Matthijs de Ligt hasn’t pulled on a United shirt in a competitive game since November. Back surgery ended his season early and his comeback has been slow, careful and closely managed.

The good news: he’s back on the grass and has travelled with the squad to their training camp in the Republic of Ireland this week. He’s involved, visible, present around the group again.

The bad news: there is still no clear timeline. United have given no indication of when he might be ready for minutes, let alone a start. Hull is out of the question, and for now, his return remains open-ended.

Tom Heaton – innocuous knock, serious problem

Injury: Hamstring
Possible return date: Everton, September 6

Tom Heaton’s injury against PSG in Gothenburg looked harmless at first. He came off, Dermot Mee came on, and there was no real alarm on the touchline.

The scans told a different story.

As revealed in Notebook this week, Heaton will discover the full extent of the damage next weekend, but the early expectation is that he faces at least a few weeks out. United are tentatively eyeing the home game against Everton on September 6 as a realistic target for his return.

Until then, Carrick will have to juggle his goalkeeping options carefully.

Mason Mount – Hull too soon

Injury: Foot
Possible return date: Hull, August 22 (squad, not XI)

When Mason Mount walked off less than 20 minutes into the clash with PSG, the immediate fear was brutal: serious injury, lengthy lay-off, another major headache.

Those fears eased quickly when he was later seen leaving the stadium without a limp. No boot, no crutches, no obvious distress.

Yet the knock has lingered. Mount missed the friendly against Leeds and is not in the squad to face AC Milan. With both of United’s final two pre-season games gone, Carrick will not throw him straight into the starting XI at Hull.

The hope inside the camp is more modest: Mount could still make the matchday squad on August 22, even if he starts the season watching from the bench.

Benjamin Sesko – race against time

Injury: Shin
Possible return date: Ipswich, August 30

Benjamin Sesko’s summer has never really started. The striker has not played a single minute in pre-season as he continues to recover from the shin injury he picked up in the win over Liverpool in early May.

The internal plan, as outlined in Notebook earlier in the summer, was for Sesko to feature in at least one of United’s later friendlies. His absence from the squad to face Milan confirms that target has been missed.

The consequence is clear: Bryan Mbeumo is locked in to start at Hull, with Sesko lacking match sharpness and rhythm. At this stage, even a place on the bench next week looks unlikely. Realistically, the trip to Ipswich on August 30 now shapes up as his first genuine opportunity to be involved.

Manuel Ugarte – the long haul

Injury: Knee ligament
Possible return date: 2027

Manuel Ugarte’s situation is the bleakest of the lot. The midfielder was stretchered off in Uruguay’s World Cup defeat to Spain in June, suffering what he himself called “the most serious injury a footballer can face” in a message posted after the game.

He spoke of hitting rock bottom, of having to start again, of using the setback as fuel. But the reality is brutal: United do not expect him back until 2027.

For Carrick, Ugarte is a long-term project now, not a short-term option. Any plans involving him this season have already been ripped up.

Karl Darlow – minor concern, major mystery

Injury: Unknown
Possible return date: Not specified

Karl Darlow arrived at United already managing a pre-existing issue. The club do not believe it to be serious, but it has been enough to keep him out of every pre-season squad so far.

There is no official return date attached to his name, only the assurance that the problem is not thought to be major. Even so, every missed friendly is another lost chance to build understanding with his defence.

Seven days from Hull, Carrick’s pre-season calculations are changing. De Ligt is still waiting. Sesko hasn’t kicked a ball. Mount is racing the clock. Ugarte won’t be seen for years.

United’s final friendly will decide one last thing: whether this injury list stays as it is, or whether the season starts with the manager already forced into damage limitation.