Manchester United manager Michael Carrick will be without several key players when his side travel to London to face Chelsea in the Premier League this weekend.
Koby Mainu could return to Manchester United this weekend (Image: Getty Images)
Koby Mainu could feature in this weekend’s match between Manchester United and Chelsea as he nears his return from injury, but manager Michael Carrick has confirmed that Lisandro Martinez and Patrick Dorg will not feature at Stamford Bridge.
The Red Devils head to London with a light defense after Martinez was shown a red card in the last game against Leeds. The 33-year-old Argentine, who received an additional one-match suspension on Wednesday, joined Harry Maguire on the sideline.
With Mainu back in training, Carrick’s engine room options are even wider, with the young midfielder potentially playing a role as soon as this weekend.
“Coby is doing it little by little, he’s working towards it, he’s doing it little by little, so we have to make a decision,” the Manchester United manager said in Friday’s pre-match press conference.
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Mainu, who missed the 2-1 home defeat to Leeds following a knock, has been a regular in Carrick’s side since the former Red Devils midfielder replaced Ruben Amorim in January.
Martinez has been suspended for three games, and Carrick simply said “no” when asked if he would be available Saturday.
Michael Carrick confirms Lisandro Martinez will be unavailable for the game against Chelsea (Image: Getty Images)
Dolgu has been sidelined since sustaining a serious hamstring injury in January. And while the left-winger is close to returning, it won’t happen this week.
Carrick said of Dorg: “Patrick won’t be[available]. He’s doing well, his rehabilitation is going well and he’s progressing well, but he’s not with us in terms of training. It’s positive that he’s back on the pitch and he’s doing very well.”
Patrick Dorg is not yet ready to return to the team (Image: Getty Images)
Aiden Haven and Lenny Yolo could start as United’s centre-half pairing with Maguire and Martinez unavailable. And Carrick encouraged the youngsters when asked if Manchester United fans would get a glimpse of the future if they actually started together against Chelsea.
He said: “It’s difficult to predict the future, but we’re happy to have gotten both of them. Also, their age doesn’t necessarily mean playing for such a big club. It’s not always easy or easy, but the level they’re at now. I think it’s a really good stage. The future is the future and they need to keep progressing and we’re going to give them that opportunity. They’re probably in as good a position as they can be at that age.”
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