Manchester United vs Ipswich Town: Carrick's Squad Faces Pressure

Manchester United’s season is only one game old, but the pressure is already real.

Beaten 2-0 by Hull City on the opening day, Michael Carrick’s side now face newly-promoted Ipswich Town in their second Premier League outing. On paper, it’s a fixture United should control. Last weekend showed how little that matters.

Hull, up via the playoffs, made United look like the team feeling its way back into top-flight football. Sloppy in midfield, soft in duels, short of ideas. Carrick cannot afford a repeat. Not at Old Trafford. Not again.

Baleba arrives, but may have to wait

Since that defeat, United have moved in the market.

Carlos Baleba has arrived from Brighton and Hove Albion, immediately becoming the most natural defensive midfielder in the squad. It’s a signing that speaks directly to what was missing against Hull: control, protection, structure.

But United fans might have to wait to see him.

Baleba suffered ankle ligament damage during Brighton’s pre-season and is still working his way back. He is expected to regain full fitness before the end of September and is likely to train on his own before joining full sessions.

The early target is clear: Saturday, 10 October, away to Tottenham Hotspur. Ipswich may come too soon.

Amad blow leaves United short out wide

Out wide, Carrick has another headache.

Amad missed the Hull defeat after featuring in United’s final pre-season game against AC Milan. Roundtable understands he could be sidelined for up to six weeks after picking up an injury in training.

The projected return date is also Tottenham away on 10 October, leaving United without one of their more inventive attacking options for a crucial run of early-season fixtures. With the team already struggling for rhythm, that absence stings.

Mount edges back into contention

There is better news with Mason Mount.

The midfielder was forced off before the 20-minute mark against Paris Saint-Germain in pre-season after taking a knock to the foot. He left the stadium without a limp but then vanished from the matchday squads against Leeds United, AC Milan and Hull City.

United described him as “touch and go” for the Hull game. Now, Sam Cohen reports that Mount has trained with the first-team squad ahead of the Ipswich clash.

That points towards a possible return date of Sunday, 30 August, against Ipswich Town. If he is passed fit, Carrick gains a much-needed runner and link player between midfield and attack, something painfully absent in the opener.

De Ligt’s long road back

At the back, the story is more complex.

Matthijs de Ligt has not played since suffering a back injury in November 2025. At the time, Rúben Amorim suggested it might be just a week on the sidelines. It has turned into a long, grinding absence.

De Ligt has now been seen back in training with the first team. These are likely the early stages of his rehabilitation, and with back problems there is no room for recklessness. United will not rush him.

The current expectation is a return in late October. Until then, Carrick must manage without a defender signed to be a cornerstone.

Same squad, very different demands

Put it all together and the picture for Ipswich is clear.

The squad is likely to look very similar to the one that lost to Hull City. Baleba is unlikely to be risked, Amad is out, De Ligt remains on the comeback trail, and Mount is the main hope to rejoin the group in time.

The personnel might barely change. The performance has to.

Ipswich, fresh from promotion and full of momentum, will arrive believing they can rattle Old Trafford just as Hull did. United’s response will say plenty about what kind of season this is going to be – a blip corrected early, or the start of something far more troubling.