Manchester United Faces Early Season Crisis Against Ipswich
Manchester United will limp into their Old Trafford home opener on Sunday with a threadbare squad and the weight of an early-season crisis already pressing down.
Nine players are set to miss the visit of Ipswich, leaving Michael Carrick to hunt his first win of the campaign with a patched-up side and plenty of questions hanging over his team.
United’s season began with a jolt, a flat 2-0 defeat at Hull that exposed rust, fragility and a worrying lack of sharpness. Since then, the club have splashed £70million on Carlos Baleba from Brighton, a statement signing meant to inject energy and authority into midfield.
He will not play either.
Baleba blow delays big-money debut
Baleba’s arrival was supposed to provide a lift after that grim afternoon at the MKM Stadium. Instead, the 20-year-old must watch from the stands, still nursing an ankle problem picked up in pre-season.
Carrick has already moved to calm any panic. The issue is known, the timescale clear.
"He's got a little ankle issue, so maybe a couple of weeks or so, three weeks. We knew that before. It's no major issue. It'll be great to have him back," the United boss said.
For now, though, United go into a key early fixture without their new £70m midfielder, and with the same questions in the middle of the pitch that were laid bare at Hull.
Amad and Mount: contrasting updates
Out wide, there is more frustration. Amad, the £37m signing from 2021, will miss out again after suffering a minor training-ground injury that also kept him out of the Hull defeat.
"Amad won't be involved, he'll be out for a little bit longer," Carrick confirmed, a blunt verdict on a player who has repeatedly struggled to build momentum in a United shirt.
The news on Mason Mount is at least brighter. The England international will not feature against Ipswich, but his recovery has accelerated and his presence around the squad is being felt again.
"Mase is back around the group, he trained this week, so a real positive," Carrick said. The implication is clear: Mount is close, and United badly need his intensity and movement between the lines.
De Ligt edging back, Heaton still out
At the back, there is cautious optimism over Matthijs De Ligt. The Dutch defender has been a long-term absentee, but his workload is finally increasing.
"Matta's obviously been out for a long period of time," Carrick said. "But he's training and it's great to have him back. He won't be involved, but he's in good shape and moving in a good direction, so that's a good bonus for us really, at this stage, to have him back."
The message is one of patience. De Ligt is not ready yet, but his return is no longer a distant prospect.
In goal, reserve keeper Tom Heaton also remains unavailable after picking up an injury in the pre-season friendly against PSG. There is no clear timeframe on his comeback, leaving United light on experienced cover behind their first-choice stopper.
Ipswich also hit, but arrive with momentum
Ipswich have their own problems, though they travel to Manchester with something United do not: a league win already on the board.
They beat Sunderland without Jaden Philogene, and the winger’s ankle issue keeps him out again at Old Trafford. Florentino Luis also misses out with a calf injury, having sat out the Sunderland match as well. Azor Matusiwa, sidelined by a thigh problem last week, remains unavailable.
Four absentees for the visitors, nine for the hosts. On paper, United’s resources still dwarf those of the Tractor Boys. But paper did not help them at Hull.
Carrick now has to take a depleted, bruised group and drag a performance out of them in front of a restless Old Trafford crowd. Early in the season or not, this already feels like more than just another home game.
