Patrick Dorg suffers a hamstring injury, forcing Michael Carrick to change his approach at Manchester United after a perfect start with wins over Manchester City and Arsenal
Patrick Dorg will miss 10 weeks due to injury (Image: Nigel French/Getty Images)
Michael Carrick has been thrown his first major curveball as Manchester United’s interim head coach following the unwelcome news that Patrick Dawg will be out for 10 weeks with a hamstring injury.
Dorg has been outstanding since Carrick took over from Ruben Amorim, scoring in both the 2-0 win over Manchester City and the 3-2 win over Arsenal. Converting from left wing-back in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system to left wing in Carrick’s 4-2-3-1 formation, he was a revelation.
Gary Neville summed up the change on Sky Sports, saying: “Patrick Dorg looked like a very average wing-back under Ruben Amorim. Further forward he looks like a completely different player.”
The Denmark international will be sidelined for around 10 weeks after sustaining a hamstring injury against Arsenal. The player is likely to miss eight Premier League games and could return for the game against Leeds on April 11.
Carrick named the same starting XI for the first two games but has now been forced to adapt. So how does he do it? Mirror Football looks at the options available to the United manager.
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1. Mason Mount
Carrick cannot afford to use Jadon Sancho or Marcus Rashford, who are playing the position on loan at Aston Villa and Barcelona respectively, or Alejandro Garnacho, who was sold to Chelsea for £40m in the summer after falling out with Amorim.
So Dorg’s most obvious successor is Mason Mount. The United midfielder plays on the left as one of Amorim’s attacking midfielders and is comfortable cutting inside with his strong right foot.
Mount did not feature in the game against Arsenal after being replaced by Bruno Fernandes in the Manchester derby. The 27-year-old has a lackluster record with seven goals and two assists in 66 appearances for the club, but his hard work and positional discipline have made him a favorite of United’s previous managers.
If Carrick chooses to start Mount in the next game against Fulham, he will likely demand more from Luke Shaw, who moves forward on the overlap, and Mount will be happy inside.
Mason Mount is a clear beneficiary after Patrick Dawg’s injury (Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
2. Mateus Cunha
The other most likely option is to shuffle the puck up front. Carrick has played to great effect with Brian Mbeumo as the sole striker in both games so far, scoring against City and Arsenal. However, the influence of Matheus Cunha, who was off the bench in both games, cannot be ignored, and the Brazilian admitted he is desperate to start.
At Arsenal, Cunha came on as a substitute for Mbeumo in the 69th minute and connected with Koby Mainu to score the winning goal from outside the box and into the bottom corner. He is at home in the center of the pitch, ideally playing behind the other strikers, but he also has the ability to start on the left and drift inside with his dangerous right foot.
Matheus Cunha urges Michael Carrick to start (Image: Getty Images)
Let us know what you think. What would be the best option for Michael Carrick? Please comment below.
3. Amad
United have left-footed player Amad in their starting XI. The Ivorian international prefers to play on the right and cut inside, but he can also switch positions to the opposite flank to resemble a traditional winger. If that happens, Mbeumo will be moved back to the right wing and play below Amorim, with Cunha up front and Bruno Fernandes in the number 10 role.
Amad showed Amorim’s flexibility in the position, with him playing as a right wing-back. However, Carrick may not want to avoid putting too many square pegs into round holes, given that his early success at United was built on simplifying things and putting players in their strongest positions.
Amado can switch wings (Image: Getty Images)
4. Shea Lacey
Carrick has repeatedly spoken of his belief in United’s academy, whose reputation suffered under Amorim. The former United midfielder has close links with the club’s young players and will be well aware of Shay Lacey’s talent.
The 18-year-old winger has made two substitute appearances in the Premier League this season, but was sent off in the 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Brighton earlier this month. Like Amad, he is more comfortable on the right wing cutting inside the left wing, but could be given more chances in the coming weeks.
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