Carrick Rules Out Five United Players for Como Clash

Manchester United will travel to Italy for their UEFA Champions League meeting with Como without five players after manager Michael Carrick confirmed their unavailability ahead of Wednesday's fixture. Lisandro Martinez, Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw, Ayden Heaven and Marcus Rashford missed the team's final training session at Carrington, leaving Carrick with limited defensive and midfield options.

According to sports.yahoo.com, United must also manage the longer-term absences of Patrick Dorgu, Benjamin Sesko and Manuel Ugarte. Defender Leny Yoro will miss the match through suspension following his red card against Atlético Madrid in United's previous Champions League outing.

Martinez is among the latest concerns after leaving Sunday's 1-1 draw against Leeds United at halftime. Carrick indicated that the defender's condition would need further assessment before a decision could be made about his availability for the weekend Premier League fixture against AFC Bournemouth.

Carrick described Martinez's condition as relatively encouraging but stopped short of confirming his return.

"Licha is not too bad but he's not with us. We'll have to see if he's ready for the weekend," Carrick told reporters, as reported by The Mirror.

Mainoo is expected to require more recovery time, while Shaw's absence could extend further. Carrick provided separate estimates for the two players.

"Kobbie were looking at another 10 days or so. Luke a little bit longer than that," Carrick said.

The manager also identified illness and a persistent hip problem as reasons for the other absences.

"A little bit of injury and illness in the camp. Ayden is ill and Marcus is still feeling a hip issue we're trying to overcome," Carrick said.

Shaw's continued absence also prompted questions about whether United should have signed another left-back during the summer transfer window. Carrick acknowledged that injuries could lead to renewed scrutiny of recruitment decisions but defended the club's approach.

"Listen, when we've got injuries at different stages we can always look at what could have been done, what we could have been improved," Carrick said.

He pointed to the circumstances surrounding the summer window and highlighted the contribution of Andrey Santos.

"I spoke to you about making the best of the transfer window in the situation we had, and this man next to me (Andrey Santos) was a big part of that. Delighted to have him," Carrick said.

The manager maintained that United had made their decisions based on the circumstances at the time, adding that injuries had affected several players in similar areas of the squad.

"We had to make decisions in the summer and we did what we could do and made the best of it. There's been injuries, Pat as well getting injured, it tends to happen at times where it hits you in the same place," Carrick said.

Sesko's recovery also remains under assessment, with the club working to establish a clearer picture of when the forward could return.

"We're hoping soon that we have a clear picture," Carrick said.

Carrick indicated that further information could become available before the end of the week, although he did not provide a confirmed return date.

"I'm not trying to delay it, hopefully, by the end of the week we will have something clearer. There has been some work going on," Carrick said.

United have received a positive development with Matthijs de Ligt returning to the squad after an 11-month absence caused by a serious back problem. However, the defender had yet to return to match action after being named on the bench.

Carrick welcomed the defender's return and said he was ready to resume playing after his lengthy recovery.

"It's great to have him back, he's had such a long journey of 11 month or so out," Carrick said.

The manager praised de Ligt's patience and work during his rehabilitation.

"Been patient, worked hard, delighted to have him back, he's fit, he's ready," Carrick said.

Martinez's situation has also developed following criticism he directed at United's senior leadership and sporting director Jason Wilcox after the Champions League defeat to Atlético Madrid. According to Sports Illustrated, the defender subsequently issued social media statements, including one describing a "very positive conversation" with the club's leadership and Carrick.

Martinez then started against Leeds United but was withdrawn at halftime. Carrick's post-match assessment indicated that the defender had experienced discomfort in his thigh.

"felt his thigh a little bit," Carrick said, as reported by Sports Illustrated.

Martinez joined United from Ajax in the summer of 2022. Sports Illustrated reported that he had made 110 appearances across all competitions during his first four years at the club, while Transfermarkt estimated that he had spent 632 days sidelined through injury during that period.

United will assess Martinez ahead of the Bournemouth match, while Mainoo, Shaw, Rashford and Heaven remain unavailable for the trip to Como. De Ligt's return offers another defensive option, although his involvement in competitive action remains unconfirmed.