Injury nightmare for Carrick: Man United suffer double blow ahead of Bournemouth test
Manchester United have been hit with a major double blow ahead of their crucial trip to the Vitality Stadium.
The Red Devils are gearing up for a high-stakes Premier League clash against Bournemouth on Friday evening.
According to journalist Danyal Khan, Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui were absent from the team training today.
Martinez was expected to be back for this game after suffering a calf problem last month.
He has missed four consecutive matches, casting serious doubt over his fitness progress.
Matthijs de Ligt remains a long-term absentee, having struggled with persistent back issues since November. A January comeback once looked likely, but repeated setbacks have stalled his return to action.
Mazraoui appears to be the latest addition to United’s growing injury list. The 28-year-old picked up a heavy knock in the 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United earlier this month.
He was spotted limping when exiting St James’ Park.
Despite those concerns, Mazraoui was included in the squad against Aston Villa, though he remained an unused substitute.
United head coach Michael Carrick will now be concerned about the mounting injury problems in defence.
If Mazraoui is ruled out, Carrick may be forced to rely heavily on Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot to play the full 90 minutes.
Tyrell Malacia came on in the last few minutes against Newcastle United and made a costly mistake that directly contributed to a rare defeat.
The United head coach cannot afford a repeat of that mistake and must now explore alternative solutions, either from the academy or by trusting Ayden Heaven in an unfamiliar left-back role.
Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .