Manchester United’s extended international break has brought another wave of concern, with Bruno Fernandes, Patrick Dorgu, Noussair Mazraoui, Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo and Karl Darlow all facing fitness issues or having withdrawn from international duty. 😩🚑
Captain Bruno Fernandes has been playing through pain and subsequently missed Portugal’s Nations League victory over Norway. Portugal boss Jorge Jesus said Bruno had been carrying the problem for several matches and was not at his best because of it.
Then came Patrick Dorgu, who was forced off after only around 30 minutes of Denmark’s match against Wales with a suspected hamstring injury. Denmark sent the United defender back to Manchester for assessment.
The situation became even more worrying when Noussair Mazraoui was forced off during Morocco’s win over Lesotho after appearing to hurt his lower back/hip area. The full extent of the injury has not yet been confirmed.
United had already confirmed that Rashford, Mainoo and Darlow withdrew from international duty, with the club saying all three would undergo individual recovery plans during the three-week break.
And that is without counting players who were already dealing with longer-term problems, including Amad Diallo, Matthijs de Ligt and Manuel Ugarte. Current injury trackers put United’s total at around 11 players unavailable or under assessment.
The timing could hardly be more frustrating for Michael Carrick. United’s next Premier League match is against Tottenham at Old Trafford on October 10, meaning Carrick has a nervous wait to discover exactly who will be available.
With injuries hitting midfield, defence, attack and even the goalkeeping department, United’s squad depth is being seriously tested before the season enters another demanding period. 🔴😰
Bruno. Rashford. Mainoo. Dorgu. Mazraoui. Darlow. United simply cannot afford many more injury blows. 🚑🔴
