Michael Carrick's problems are piling up. Six Manchester United players missed training on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday's Champions League trip to Como, leaving the under-pressure manager facing a defensive selection crisis on one of the biggest nights of his season so far.
According to talkSPORT, Ayden Heaven, Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw and Patrick Dorgu were all absent from Tuesday's session. SportsTiger, citing a Sky Sports News report from Tuesday morning, likewise listed Martinez, Heaven, Shaw, Mainoo and Rashford among the players missing from training.
The absences are the last thing Carrick needs. United travel to Italy in the middle of a six-game winless run, and the manager was already dealing with the fallout from Sunday's 1-1 draw with Leeds United and the media ban row that followed it.
Martinez the Biggest Worry
The most concerning name on the list is Lisandro Martinez. The Argentina centre-back was taken off at half-time against Leeds after Carrick confirmed he had "felt his thigh a little bit", and he has started eight of United's ten games in all competitions this season.
Noussair Mazraoui replaced Martinez on Sunday and could reprise that role against Como if the defender is ruled out. With Leny Yoro suspended after his red card against Atletico Madrid, Carrick's central defensive options are suddenly paper-thin.
Diogo Dalot and Harry Maguire look likely to keep their places after starting the Leeds draw, while there could even be a return for Matthijs de Ligt, who has not featured since last November after undergoing back surgery. Teenage defenders Dan Armer and Jaydan Kamason both trained with the first team on Tuesday and could be named in the travelling squad.
Problems in Every Department
The crisis is not limited to the back line. Kobbie Mainoo has now missed United's last two fixtures after picking up an injury in the 1-1 draw with Tottenham, and Carrick has yet to disclose the nature of the problem.
Luke Shaw, who was seen limping after the Spurs game, also sat out the Atletico Madrid and Leeds matches. Patrick Dorgu is still to overcome the hamstring injury he suffered on international duty with Denmark, while Heaven is dealing with illness.
In attack, Marcus Rashford was an unused substitute against Leeds and is, according to United, managing an injury issue. Benjamin Sesko also remains absent with a shin injury, leaving Carrick short of recognised options up front as well.
So What Does It Mean for Como?
United won one of their first two league-phase games, and a result in Como would steady a campaign that is threatening to drift. Instead, Carrick may have to improvise an entire left side of his defence, rush back a centre-back who has not played in almost a year, and lean on teenagers in a Champions League away game.
Como, meanwhile, have been going well in Serie A and will smell vulnerability. For a manager whose position is already being questioned after just one win in seven league games, the timing of this injury pile-up could hardly be worse.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Six absentees would test any squad, but the pattern is what should worry United fans — the same names keep breaking down, and Carrick is paying for a thin squad he did not build for a Champions League campaign. Win in Como with a patched-up side and he buys himself real credit; lose, and the absentee list will not save him from the noise that follows. Can United's patched-up defence hold out in Italy? Let us know what you think in the comment section.
