Michael Carrick has issued the latest on Manchester United’s injury concerns as they prepare to face Newcastle in the Premier League on Wednesday evening.
Michael Carrick’s remarkable run at Manchester United continued on Sunday, as a battling victory against Crystal Palace lifted the Reds into third place in the Premier League.
After conceding early, United responded with character, as goals from Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Šeško completed the comeback. The focus now shifts to Wednesday night’s trip to Newcastle United, where Eddie Howe’s side await at St James’ Park.
United have not won at the famous ground since October 2020, when strikes from Harry Maguire, Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka secured a comprehensive 4-1 victory. This week offers a valuable chance to bring that barren spell to a close.
Newcastle, meanwhile, head into the contest after a 3-2 home loss to Everton and have suffered four defeats in their last five league matches, leaving them 13th in the table. Even so, United will need to be prepared for a fierce atmosphere and a demanding evening on Tyneside.
Carrick issues United injury latest
United went into their game against Crystal Palace missing four stars, with centre-backs Lisandro Martínez (calf) and Matthijs de Ligt (back) out of action, while Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu (hamstring) and Mason Mount (knock) have missed several games.
During the tie, both Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire were taken off in the first and second halves, respectively, with Carrick being rather vague when asked what the problems were, simply stating the two players “weren’t feeling too well” and came off.
In his pre-match press conference ahead of the Newcastle game, Carrick provided a further update on the pair, clarifiying that their issues were to do with illness, rather than genuine injury.
“Yeah, we’re hoping so,” the United boss replied when asked about their possible involvement. “We’re working towards it.
“They weren’t feeling too good. We’ve still got a little bit of time to the game and we will just have to see how they feel. So we’ll obviously give them every chance.
“No, it wasn’t injury, it’s just both of them weren’t feeling too good. So, yeah, it’s one of those things really. But we’ll just have to see how they are today and tomorrow morning.”
Want to stay as up-to-date as possible on the latest Manchester United updates? Add UtdDistrict as a preferred source on Google for news you can rely on.
Should Heaven be handed a start?
There is a genuine debate to be had over whether Ayden Heaven should start alongside, or even ahead of, Leny Yoro against Newcastle following the latter’s error for Palace’s goal on Sunday afternoon.
Read More: Fabrizio Romano says there is “already some movement” on Man Utd’s first summer sale
Part of what makes Martínez so important to United’s back line is his left foot. It opens up different passing angles and progression routes, whereas fielding Maguire and Yoro, both right-footed, can make United’s build-up more predictable and slightly restricted.
Heaven offers that natural left-footed balance, but he also brings strength in aerial duels and physical contests, areas where Yoro can occasionally look vulnerable.
For Wednesday night, it may make sense to bring Heaven into the defence. If Maguire is unavailable, he could partner with Yoro. If Maguire is fit, Heaven alongside him might provide a better balance.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 14:00 pm (GMT) on the United View YouTube channel.