Manchester United vs Ipswich: Mount Returns, Baleba Injured

Old Trafford expects a reaction. It also expects a performance. After a flat, toothless 2-0 defeat at Hull on the opening weekend, Manchester United walk out for their first home game of the season on Sunday knowing they already owe their supporters something.

Hull didn’t just beat them; they smothered them. United carried almost no threat, moved the ball too slowly and rarely looked like a side with serious ambitions. Michael Carrick left the MKM Stadium with more questions than answers. Ipswich’s visit now feels like an early test of his authority and his ideas.

Mount’s timely return

He does, at least, have one major boost. Mason Mount is back.

The midfielder returned to full training this week after the ankle injury he picked up against Paris Saint-Germain in pre-season. United have missed his energy and his ability to knit attacks together, and while Carrick is unlikely to throw him straight into the starting XI after a spell out, simply having him available changes the picture.

Mount gives United another creative option in a squad that looked one-paced and unimaginative at Hull. Even 30 minutes of him from the bench could alter the rhythm of a game that might otherwise drift.

There were no new injuries from that opening defeat, which, after a disrupted summer, counts as a small victory in itself. The bigger lift, though, may come from a player who didn’t start in East Yorkshire.

Rashford ready to step in

Marcus Rashford is pushing hard for a recall. Used only as a substitute against Hull, he now feels almost certain to come in from the start.

That tweak would be more than cosmetic. United were crying out for pace, direct running and a genuine threat in behind. Rashford brings all three. He stretches defences, he forces mistakes, and he changes how opponents defend the space.

If he does start, Patrick Dorgu is the likeliest to make way. That would leave Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes operating behind Matheus Cunha, with Rashford offering the explosive outlet from the left.

Up front, there is little debate. Benjamin Sesko is still working his way back from a shin problem, so Cunha is set to continue as the central striker. He worked hard at Hull but fed on scraps. Carrick knows that has to change.

Midfield under the microscope

The real scrutiny, though, falls on the middle of the pitch.

Kobbie Mainoo is knocking loudly on the door after watching Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos struggle to control the game at Hull. United lacked bite, tempo and authority in midfield, and Carrick cannot ignore that.

The most likely solution is a reshaped trio: Mainoo alongside Tielemans, with Fernandes pushed higher where he can influence the game closer to goal. Mainoo’s ability to receive under pressure and drive play forward could give United the control they never came close to finding last weekend.

At the back, Carrick’s hands are tied. Injuries continue to restrict his options, leaving little room for experimentation in defence.

Baleba forced to wait

One of the summer’s headline arrivals will not be seen yet. Carlos Baleba, signed for £70 million from Brighton, is still sidelined with an ankle ligament injury suffered during a pre-season training camp in Austria. The powerful midfielder is expected to be out for “two or three weeks”, delaying a debut many had earmarked as a key moment in United’s evolution.

He is not alone in the treatment room. Amad Diallo is out for “a little bit longer”, while Tom Heaton, Matthijs de Ligt and Manuel Ugarte also remain unavailable. Carrick must find solutions without them.

So the responsibility falls on those who are fit, those who were flat at Hull, and those now stepping back into the frame.

Predicted Manchester United XI vs Ipswich

Lammens; Mazraoui, Maguire, Heaven, Shaw; Mainoo, Tielemans; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Rashford; Cunha.

Kick-off is at 4.30pm BST on Sunday, August 30, 2026, at Old Trafford. The crowd will demand intensity. The table may say it’s early, but for Carrick and this United side, it already feels like a game they cannot afford to drift through.