Manchester United head into their upcoming clash against AFC Bournemouth with a mixed outlook on the injury front, as interim manager Michael Carrick continues to deal with several fitness concerns within his squad.
United come into the fixture on the back of a positive result, having triumphed over Aston Villa 3-1 at Old Trafford last time out.
However, attention has quickly shifted to the availability of key players as the Red Devils prepare for their trip to the Vitality Stadium.
As per latest from Carrick, one of the major concerns remains Matthijs de Ligt, who is still sidelined with a persistent back issue.
The Dutch defender has been out of action since November last year, and his recovery process continues to experience setbacks, leaving United without a key option in defence.
Patrick Dorgu is also expected to miss out again. The youngster has been unavailable since picking up a hamstring injury and is still not considered ready to return to action.
There is, however, more encouraging news regarding Lisandro Martinez. The Argentine centre-back is making steady progress in his recovery and is understood to be closing in on a return.
While he may not feature against Bournemouth, there is growing confidence that he could be available for the fixtures that will come after.
A more minor concern surrounds Noussair Mazraoui, who recently missed training due to illness. The issue is not believed to be serious, and the defender is expected to be in contention for the upcoming fixture if he recovers in time.
Asides these few players, Carrick has the rest of Manchester United’s squad at his disposal heading into this one.
The former England midfielder will be particularly pleased with the current form of his attacking players as Red Devils chase an eight win in ten games.
United are eight games away from officially achieving their main objective of securing Champions League qualification ahead of next season.
However, they still have to navigate stern tests against direct rivals Chelsea and Liverpool before the end of the campaign.
