Harry Maguire's FA charge means that he'll banned for Manchester United's trip to Chelsea, joining the suspended Lisandro Martinez and injured Matthijs de Ligt on the sidelines
BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - MARCH 20: Harry Maguire of Manchester United reacts as he is sent off after being shown a Red card during the Premier League match between Bournemouth and Manchester United at Vitality Stadium on March 20, 2026 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
Harry Maguire won't play against Chelsea(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
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Manchester United will be without Harry Maguire against Chelsea, giving Michael Carrick an unwanted headache in defence. United star Maguire was sent off during last month's 2-2 draw away to Bournemouth and initially received a one-game ban.
But 27 days later, the FA confirmed that the England international will be suspended for a further match as a result of his foul-mouth outburst towards an official, therefore ruling him out of Saturday's visit to Stamford Bridge. And Maguire isn't Carrick's only issue.
Lisandro Martinez, who replaced Maguire for Monday's abject 2-1 loss at home to Leeds, was shown a red card for violent conduct will miss the next three games unless United are successful in their appeal. Meanwhile, Matthijs de Ligt remains injured with a back problem and hasn't played since November.
That leaves Carrick with just two recognised centre-backs available: 20-year-old Leny Yoro and 19-year-old Ayden Heaven. The Red Devils boss could opt to trust in youth or get creative ahead of a crunch game which could go a long way towards deciding whether United qualify for the Champions League.
1. The obvious solution
In his 21 appearances at first-team level since joining United from Arsenal, Heaven has rarely looked out of place. Composed in his defensive actions and confident on the ball, the task of playing an out-of-form Chelsea won't faze the teenager.
Heaven has played roughly 20 minutes of football since Carrick's appointment, but he was trusted by both Ruben Amorim and previous caretaker Darren Fletcher. Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw are likely to start as the full-backs, so putting faith in Heaven alongside Yoro would cause the least disruption.
Michael Carrick, manager of Manchester United, speaks with Ayden Heaven of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace at Old Trafford in Manchester, United Kingdom, on March 1, 2026. (Photo by Mark Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Michael Carrick could turn to Ayden Heaven(Image: Mark Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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2. Shaw slots in
A left-back by trade, Shaw is no stranger to playing a more central role. When it's been called for, the 30-year-old has mostly played on the left of a three-man defence, although many of the same principles would apply here.
If Shaw can partner Yoro, he should provide experience and be an assured presence at the back. Dalot would therefore play at left-back while Noussair Mazraoui, who started against Leeds, would play on the right.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 13: Luke Shaw of Manchester United on the ball during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Leeds United at Old Trafford on April 13, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Luke Shaw is an option for Michael Carrick(Image: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
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3. Drop Casemiro back
This would be rogue, but Casemiro also has experience at the heart of defence for both United and his former club, Real Madrid. The Brazilian has made a total of 13 appearances as a centre-back, most recently in 2024 under Erik ten Hag.
What Casemiro lacks in pace, he can make up for with his reading of the game and ability to see almost the full pitch compared to midfield. United would, however, lose his attacking qualities from open play and it'd likely mean that the struggling Manuel Ugarte would retain his place in midfield.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - APRIL 13: Casemiro of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Leeds United at Old Trafford on April 13, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Casemiro has played at centre-back before(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
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4. Throwback to Amorim
Finally, let's throw it out there: three at the back. Amorim never strayed from that system during his difficult 14-month tenure but United's players failed to get to grips with it.
But sometimes needs must and Mazraoui's experience as a wide centre-back could come in handy. We'd be surprised if Carrick did deviate from his preferred 4-2-3-1, though.