Carrick hit by injury crisis - Shaw and Mainoo doubtful for Man Utd's clash with Atletico
Training ground absences spark selection fears
Manchester United are facing a significant selection headache ahead of their crucial Champions League encounter against Atletico Madrid. Carrick’s preparations for the trip to the Metropolitano have been severely disrupted by a growing injury list, with Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo the most notable absentees from Monday morning's training session. The duo’s presence in Spain remains highly uncertain as the medical staff continues to monitor their condition
Decisions regarding whether the pair will even board the flight to Madrid are expected to be made late on Monday afternoon. Manchester United head into this crucial encounter looking to build on their impressive start to the Champions League campaign, having cruised to a 4-0 victory over Sabah in their opening match, whereas Atletico Madrid are aiming to bounce back from a 2-1 defeat against Liverpool in their first outing.
The squad that gathered at Carrington was missing more than just Shaw and Mainoo, as Benjamin Sesko, Patrick Dorgu, and Noussair Mazraoui were also absent from the 23-man group, while Matthijs de Ligt took part as he continued his recovery.
Carrick sweating over Sesko and Dorgu status
The situation regarding Sesko is particularly concerning for United supporters, with the striker currently sidelined by a shin problem in an area similar to the injury that kept him out of the final three matches of last season and the entirety of pre-season.
It's a similar area, but it's not the exact same thing again. And we're still working through it a little bit to see how long the issue will be. We're hoping it will be soon, obviously, but at this moment it's still not quite clear,' Carrick said last week.
Defensive depth tested for Madrid mission
Further back, the news does not get much better for the Premier League side. Dorgu is expected to be out for several weeks after suffering a hamstring injury while on international duty with Denmark, while Mazraoui was forced to pull out of Morocco's squad last month after picking up a knock against Lesotho - and though a late call was considered before the Tottenham Hotspur game, the defender ultimately failed to make the matchday squad.
Despite the long list of casualties, the training group did include experienced heads like Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez, alongside youngsters such as Harry Amass and Ayden Heaven.
Contrasting fortunes in domestic form
The two sides head into this European showdown boasting contrasting fortunes of late. Manchester United are enduring a difficult run of form and are winless in their last four matches across all competitions, having suffered defeats against Manchester City and Brighton - the latter resulting in an EFL Cup exit - alongside Premier League draws with Fulham and Tottenham. In stark contrast, Atletico Madrid are enjoying a stellar run, having secured victories in each of their last four outings against Real Sociedad, Osasuna, Real Madrid, and Alaves.
