Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Manchester United head to Craven Cottage on Sunday with little room for another stumble after a rough opening to the campaign. They have collected only four points from their first four league matches, while Wednesday’s 3-2 League Cup defeat by Brighton added another setback. United led that game 2-0 before Brighton turned it around, yet Michael Carrick has rejected talk of a catastrophe and wants his players focused on the response.
The Manchester United injured players against Fulham could make that response harder, although the visitors still have plenty of attacking quality available. Bruno Fernandes has started the season strongly, scoring three goals and producing a team-leading 7.78 match rating, according to the aggregated match data. Around him, Marcus Rashford, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha give Carrick several options in a 4-2-3-1.
Carrick is remaining calm under the current pressure as he knows United could have easily beaten Everton after losing with the last kick of the game and should not have lost to City as the goal from, Haaland had an offside in the build up so United could easily be sitting on 8 points from their 4 League games. Their 3-2 debacle of a loss at home will worry him as they were 2-0 up but Arsenal also lost to the Seagulls going down to a stunning 3-0 loss at the Amex Stadium on Saturday so Brighton are very much in form.
🚨🗣️ Michael Carrick:
"We’ve got to put things in perspective, it’s not a catastrophe or a disaster, we’ve lost a couple of games recently." pic.twitter.com/LkGR0AaHBb
— UtdXclusive (@UtdXclusive) September 18, 2026
Fulham will offer a stubborn test at home. They drew 0-0 with Liverpool in their last league outing, while their recent results have shown they can cause problems in open games. United have dominated the historical meeting record, with 17 wins to Fulham’s one, but past results won’t settle this contest.
Manchester United injured players to miss the trip to Fulham
1) Manuel Ugarte
Ugarte remains the biggest concern. The midfielder has a cruciate ligament injury, and FotMob lists his expected return for early April 2027. His absence removes another midfield option for Carrick during a busy opening period.
2) Matthijs de Ligt
The Dutchman misses out with a back injury. Sources gives late September 2026 as his expected return, meaning United could see him back soon if recovery continues without a setback.
3) Carlos Baleba
The Cameroonian is listed with an ankle injury and carries a late September return date. His availability remains a late decision, with reports on Friday indicating Carrick could assess him before the trip.
4) Amad Diallo
He has a muscle injury and publications list late September as his expected return. His absence reduces Carrick’s attacking depth, particularly if the manager wants more pace from the bench.
5) Tom Heaton
He continues his recovery from an abdominal injury. Again sources place his return in late September, so he won’t feature unless his condition improves sooner than expected.
6) Luke Shaw
Shaw is the clearest doubt rather than a confirmed absentee. Numerous pundits and reports have seen Shaw with physical discomfort and mark him as doubtful, while Reuters reported that Carrick would make a late decision on Shaw and Baleba.
No Manchester United suspensions are a factor for this fixture. That leaves injuries as the main selection issue, with Ugarte confirmed out and several others waiting on fitness checks.
That could force Carrick to trust younger options, alter his bench plan and ask Fernandes to carry more creative responsibility during difficult spells there too.
Carrick needs an efficient performance after the Brighton collapse where their injury lisy played its part, particularly in midfield and defensive positions. The Manchester United injured players forr Fulham leave him fewer choices, but the core attacking group remains available. Craven Cottage will demand patience, quick passing and better control once United lose possession.