Man United Injury Update: Shaw's Return, Amad and Ugarte's Long Wait

Manchester United walked off a bruised Old Trafford pitch on Wednesday night with more than just a Carabao Cup defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion to digest. Half a dozen senior players remain sidelined, and only one of them has a realistic shot at being back in time for Sunday’s trip to Fulham.

That one is Luke Shaw.

The left-back, who started United’s first three Premier League games, has missed the last week with a thigh problem but was in the stands against Brighton. Michael Carrick had hinted he might even make the cup tie.

“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,” United’s head coach said before the game.

The fact he was close for Wednesday points strongly towards Shaw being available at Craven Cottage. If he does return, Patrick Dorgu – left out of the line-up in midweek – looks set for another watching brief from the bench.

Lisandro Martinez and Dorgu both failed to make the squad in midweek, adding to the sense of a stretched group, but the core of United’s longer-term issues lies elsewhere.

Amad: pre-season promise on hold

Amad’s summer ended with promise; his season has started with frustration.

The winger featured in United’s final four friendlies, looked sharp, and then picked up a niggle in the closing days of pre-season training. He has not kicked a competitive ball since, missing all six of United’s matches so far.

Carrick addressed his situation in Tuesday’s press conference.

“Amad, not quite close in terms of days, but we'll see as the week progresses,” he said.

Five days on from those comments, Fulham away feels tight. If he doesn’t make it, the Ivorian is expected to be back in the frame after the international break, when United’s schedule stiffens again and attacking depth will matter.

Carlos Baleba: edging towards a debut

Carlos Baleba has yet to appear since arriving in the summer, his start at the club delayed by ankle ligament damage suffered in pre-season.

The midfielder, signed with an eye on driving United’s engine room, is at least moving in the right direction. His rehab has stepped up, and Carrick sounded upbeat when speaking before the Brighton tie – against Baleba’s former club.

“He'll be back in and around the group at some point over the next week or so,” the manager said. “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.”

The plan is clear: integrate him around the squad in the coming days, then push for full involvement once club football resumes after the break. United’s midfield will look very different if Baleba hits the ground running.

Matthijs de Ligt: slow road back

For Matthijs de Ligt, this has become a lost year.

It is now 10 and a half months since the defender last played for United, back in late November, before a back injury halted his season. Surgery followed, and he only returned to training with his team-mates around five and a half weeks ago.

Carrick is choosing caution over calendar promises.

“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.

What is clear is that De Ligt will not be rushed. His return is expected sometime after this international break, with another window of national-team fixtures looming a month later. Between those two pauses, United need to find a way to manage without him in the heart of defence.

Manuel Ugarte: the long-term absentee

Manuel Ugarte is the one name on United’s list that screams long-term.

The Uruguay midfielder damaged knee ligaments at the World Cup in the summer and required surgery in mid-July. He has been working at Carrington with the club’s medical and performance staff since, following what United have described as a “long path to a full recovery”.

The club’s latest bulletin confirmed the operation was a success and that Ugarte is “currently progressing”. The wording underlined the scale of the task. He is almost certain not to play again before the end of 2026.

There remains a sliver of hope he could feature before this season is out, but that depends entirely on how his rehabilitation unfolds. For now, he is a distant figure in United’s plans, a future pillar rather than a present solution.

Tom Heaton: veteran still out

Tom Heaton’s absence has been quieter, but it still shapes United’s matchday squads.

The veteran goalkeeper suffered a hamstring injury in a pre-season friendly against Paris Saint-Germain and has not been available since. Had he been fit on Wednesday, he would almost certainly have been on the bench against Brighton.

Instead, Senne Lammens provided cover as Karl Darlow made his debut. Dermot Mee was drafted into the Champions League squad for the game against Sabah last week, another sign of the reshuffle Heaton’s injury has forced.

United head to Fulham with Shaw likely back, Baleba edging closer, Amad still touch and go, and three senior players – De Ligt, Ugarte and Heaton – stuck on varying points of the comeback trail. For a squad already under scrutiny after a cup exit at home, how they navigate this injury traffic over the next month may shape far more than just the autumn.