Manchester Derby
Several big names could miss the Manchester Derby. (Image: Getty)
Both Michael Carrick and Enzo Maresca are facing several injury issues before Sunday's Manchester Derby at Old Trafford. The two teams meet for the first time since Pep Guardiola left Manchester City, though Maresca has won every single Premier League match in charge since taking over.
Carrick's first game at the helm came against City, and the head coach will be buoyed by his side's recent 4-0 Champions League victory over Sabah, having bounced back from their 2-2 draw at Everton last time out in domestic competition. Here, Express Sport takes a look at the players that, unfortunately, may miss out...
City, by contrast, secured a 2-0 European victory against FC Porto and earned a 1-0 success over Coventry at the Etihad last weekend. Both clubs are grappling with injury worries, although City are hoping to see Nico O'Reilly return, leaving Jeremy Doku as their sole absentee.
For the home side, Luke Shaw remains a doubt for the match, with Carrick confirming he was afforded additional recovery time on Thursday. United have relied extensively on the 31-year-old despite his historically problematic fitness record.
"We just gave him an extra recovery day today," Carrick said. "We'll see by tomorrow [Friday] how he is, but it's not an ongoing thing or part of a plan."
"It was simply off the back of the game the other day. Each individual has different little things we manage, and Luke was one of them today."
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Marcus Rashford participated in Wednesday's training session after being withdrawn early during the Everton fixture and remained on the bench against Sabah, while Matthijs de Ligt was notably absent alongside fellow unavailable players Amad, Manuel Ugarte, Tom Heaton and Carlos Baleba.
Nico O'Reilly of Manchester City warms up before the Premier League match against Coventry City at Etihad Stadium in Manchester,
Nico O'Reilly could return for Manchester City. (Image: Getty Images)
De Ligt hasn't appeared since late November and, following back surgery in May, United are continuing to carefully monitor his comeback.
"It's positive. Matta has trained really well," Carrick added. "When you're out for such a long period and you get to the final stages, you push and push, and you've got to manage that last step. It's important.
"We've got to get that balance right. He's on a good track, in a good place, and it's great to have him back around us - hopefully it'll be sometime soon."
As previously stated, Maresca will once again be without Doku, while O'Reilly, who withdrew from last week's Coventry warm-up, is now "100% available".
Doku hasn't featured since the Community Shield after experiencing calf tightness during the opening half against Arsenal. While the injury wasn't considered serious, it has nevertheless sidelined him for the opening four fixtures of the campaign, with Maresca indicating he 'needs more days'.