Manchester United have a cleaner injury read going into the next two league fixtures. Michael Carrick said Carlos Baleba is dealing with a little ankle issue after his £70m move from Brighton, Mason Mount is back training, and Amad Diallo will be out a little bit longer.
Carrick’s wording on Baleba was the most specific. "He’s got a little ankle issue, so maybe a couple of weeks or so, maybe three weeks," he said, while also adding, "We’ll see but we knew that before, so it’s no major issue but it’ll be great to have him back when we can."
Carrick's injury timeline
The derby date is the key reference point. United go away to Everton on 6 September, then face Manchester City on 13 September, and Carrick said Baleba could still be back for that one. He arrived from Brighton in a £70m deal and is carrying the ankle injury he picked up in pre-season training.
Mount is moving in the right direction after three weeks out with a foot knock in a pre-season friendly against Paris Saint-Germain. Carrick said: "Mase (Mount) is back around the group, which was great. Trained this week, so that’s a big positive for us."
Amad is the one who remains on the other side of the timeline. Carrick said: "Amad won’t be involved this week. He’ll be out for a little bit longer." He was omitted against Hull in the opening league game and missed the Ipswich match as well.
What United can expect before the derby
United’s 5-2 win over Ipswich was the immediate backdrop to the update, and the attack still did enough without all three players available. The recent league form line is won three, lost one and drawn one, which helps explain why the club are treating these absences as a timing issue rather than a crisis.
Matthijs de Ligt has also been training again after a long spell out, though Carrick did not say he is ready to return. That leaves United with bodies coming back at different speeds, which is usually how a squad starts to feel more normal again.
The real checkpoint is 13 September. If Baleba is going to make the derby, the next few days will tell United a lot, and Everton away on 6 September is the first test before Manchester City's visit.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
