Carrick Considers Dorgu as New Left-Back Option for United

Michael Carrick has hinted Patrick Dorgu could be pushed back into defence this season, describing the versatile Dane as “almost like a new signing” after his return from injury.

Manchester United ended the transfer window without securing extra cover at left-back, failing in late moves for Alejandro Balde and Rayan Ait-Nouri. That leaves Luke Shaw as the only recognised specialist in the position – and suddenly Dorgu’s past as a defender looks very relevant.

The 21-year-old has largely been used further forward since Carrick arrived. He has started four times under the United manager but lost a big chunk of last season to a hamstring problem. He opened this campaign on the wing at Hull City, then dropped to the bench for the win over Ipswich.

Under Carrick, Dorgu has been a winger. Under Ruben Amorim, he operated as a wing-back. But before United paid £25million to take him from Lecce in January 2025, he was playing as a conventional left-back in Serie A. That history has not been forgotten.

“He can certainly play there. He has done, without doubt,” Carrick said when asked about using Dorgu at full-back. “I’m not sitting here saying he can’t do that. It’s just the way we’ve been since I’ve been here.

“He actually has been injured, unfortunately, for some time. You could almost argue that he played three or four times for us last season, so for me, he’s almost like a new player, you know, to have, and it’s almost like a new signing in some ways because he’s added so much to the group.”

The numbers in wide areas only strengthen the case. United are loaded with wingers; they are not loaded with full-backs. Dorgu has impressed on the left flank under Carrick and has even featured on the right for Denmark, where he scored a standout goal during the June internationals from that side.

That attacking threat does not rule out a deeper role. If anything, it makes him a tempting option.

“He’s played off the right for Denmark, scored a great goal in the summer playing off the right in a forward position,” Carrick said. “He can play left-back. He’s that type where he can do a number of things. I’m certainly not saying he can’t do that at all.

“It’s something he can, we just haven’t had to explore that. At some point, we might have to, at some point he might do that. He can do that, absolutely no problem. There are times in training when he does it.

“And then he’s only young, being such a young age and having the attributes that he’s got, we’ve just got to keep trying to get the most out of him.”

The window has closed. The squad is set. If injury or form hits Shaw, Carrick’s “new signing” at left-back might already be in the building.