Manchester United will be without Kobbie Mainoo and Luke Shaw for Tuesday’s Champions League meeting with Atletico Madrid after both players picked up injuries in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur.
Head coach Michael Carrick confirmed the England internationals had not travelled to Spain, leaving United without two first-team options for their second match in the competition’s league phase.
“They’ve not travelled, they both picked up issues in the game on Saturday, and we were working through that, to see what that looks like,” Carrick told reporters in Madrid. “At the moment, they are not ready for the game tomorrow.”
Shaw was forced off late in the draw at Old Trafford, while Mainoo completed the match. United had taken the lead against Tottenham but conceded a stoppage-time equaliser despite their opponents having been reduced to 10 men.
The pair are among six players unavailable for the trip, with Patrick Dorgu, Noussair Mazraoui, Benjamin Sesko and Manuel Ugarte also sidelined.
Dorgu sustained an injury while on international duty with Denmark and is expected to miss several weeks. Mazraoui returned from representing Morocco with a knock, while Sesko continues to deal with a shin problem.
Carrick said Sesko had recovered well from an earlier issue but was experiencing another problem in the same general area. The club was still assessing how long the striker would be unavailable.
Ugarte remains out following knee surgery, further limiting Carrick’s options as United prepare for the European fixture.
Despite the absences, United have received a boost with defender Matthijs de Ligt travelling to Madrid as he continues his return from a lengthy spell out with a back injury. Goalkeeper Tom Heaton has also resumed training, while Amad Diallo has recently returned to action.
Young defender Dan Armer has joined the travelling party, giving the academy player an opportunity to experience the build-up to a major European fixture.
Carrick rejected suggestions that his squad lacked sufficient depth to cope with the injury problems.
“We’re not light on numbers, no,” he said. “Of course, we’ve got a couple of issues with some players missing out, but we’re definitely not light on numbers.”
United head into the match after collecting six points from their opening six Premier League games, a disappointing domestic start that has increased scrutiny on Carrick. They began their Champions League campaign with a 4-0 win over Sabah FK.
Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, will host the English side at the Metropolitano Stadium as both teams seek points in the league phase.
