Man United Injury Update: Shaw Eyes Fulham Return as Baleba, Amad Await

Manchester United’s Carabao Cup exit to Brighton & Hove Albion came with a familiar sting in the tail: a squad still stripped of key options and a treatment room that remains busy.

Six senior players were missing on Wednesday night at Old Trafford. Only one of them, Luke Shaw, has a realistic chance of being involved in United’s final game before the international break away at Fulham on Sunday.

Lisandro Martinez and Patrick Dorgu also failed to make the midweek matchday squad, adding to the sense of a group stretched just as the season starts to bite.

Amad: pre-season promise on hold

Amad’s summer had looked encouraging. The Ivory Coast winger featured in United’s final four friendlies, sharpening up for what was supposed to be a breakthrough campaign.

Then came a late pre-season niggle in training. It has cost him all six of United’s competitive fixtures so far.

Michael Carrick addressed his situation before the Brighton tie, striking a cautious note. “Amad, not quite close in terms of days, but we'll see as the week progresses,” he said on Tuesday.

Five days on from those comments, his absence against Brighton underlines the uncertainty. Fulham may come too soon. If it does, the expectation is that his return will have to wait until after the international break.

Carlos Baleba: close, but not quite there

Carlos Baleba is yet to kick a ball competitively for United since his summer move. An ankle ligament injury in pre-season stalled his start before it even began.

The midfielder has, though, moved into the final phase of his rehab and is edging back towards the group. Speaking before facing Baleba’s former club, Carrick gave the clearest timeline yet.

“He'll be back in and around the group at some point over the next week or so,” the United head coach 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 Brighton game came too early. Fulham almost certainly will as well. After the break, United expect to finally see him in the mix.

Luke Shaw: Fulham in sight

Shaw is the one glimmer of immediate hope.

The left-back started United’s first three Premier League matches, then dropped out with a thigh problem that has kept him sidelined for the past week. He was at Old Trafford on Wednesday, watching on after Carrick had hinted he might even make the Brighton 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,” Carrick said.

Those “few days” now point directly at Craven Cottage. If Shaw is passed fit, he should return to the XI against Fulham, likely pushing Patrick Dorgu back out of the starting line-up after his midweek rest.

Matthijs de Ligt: no rush after back surgery

Matthijs de Ligt’s wait goes on.

The Dutch defender has not played for United since late November, almost ten and a half months ago, after a serious back injury that required surgery. He rejoined full training with his team-mates around five and a half weeks ago, but the club are treading carefully.

Carrick refused to pin down a date. “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 he will not be seen before the upcoming international break. The window between this one and the next, a month later, is when United hope the long rehabilitation finally translates into minutes on the pitch.

Manuel Ugarte: the long road

Manuel Ugarte is the one genuine long-term absentee.

The Uruguay midfielder damaged knee ligaments at the World Cup in the summer and underwent surgery in mid-July. He remains at Carrington, working with United’s medical and performance staff as he builds back from a major setback.

The club’s latest update described the operation as a success but stressed he “faced a long path to a full recovery” and is “currently progressing”. Any notion of a quick return has been dismissed; he is almost certain not to feature again before the end of 2026.

There is still a slim possibility of seeing him before this season is out, but that depends entirely on how his rehabilitation unfolds over the coming months.

Tom Heaton: veteran still sidelined

Tom Heaton’s absence has flown under the radar, yet it continues to shape United’s bench.

The veteran goalkeeper pulled his hamstring during a pre-season friendly against Paris Saint-Germain and has not been available since. Had he been fit, he would likely have been among the substitutes against Brighton.

Instead, Senne Lammens took a place on the bench as Karl Darlow made his debut. Dermot Mee was also drafted into the Champions League squad against Sabah last week, another sign of how Heaton’s injury has nudged United down the depth chart.

United head to Fulham with Shaw pushing to return, Baleba and Amad circling a comeback after the break, and De Ligt, Ugarte and Heaton still on staggered recovery paths. For a squad already under scrutiny, how long can they keep absorbing these absences before it starts to define their season?