Manchester United have added five players to the injury list during the international break, and the timing is awkward with Tottenham next on 10 October. United have taken just five points in the Premier League this season, so the margin for even small setbacks is already thin. Patrick Dorgu's hamstring issue and Benjamin Sesko's shin problem are the two biggest immediate worries.

Dorgu and Sesko are the main concerns

Dorgu went down off the ball with half an hour played against Wales and hobbled off, which is the kind of moment United would rather not see repeated. Sesko's issue sounds more complicated. Carrick said: "It was a pain in his shin. We’re not sure with him yet. He felt a bit of pain after the game. We’re assessing him. He definitely wasn’t ready for today."

That leaves United waiting on a forward who has made only four Premier League appearances and scored once. Sesko's shin flare-up also comes after the injury that ruled him out late last season and at the start of this campaign, so the club are not dealing with a first-time problem.

The other managed absences

The wider concern is that United are not just handling one or two knocks. Marcus Rashford picked up a minor injury in the latter stages of the draw at Fulham and dropped out of England duty, while Kobbie Mainoo withdrew from England's squad and is not thought to be injured, with load management the likely reason. Carrick also said of Rashford: "We had to bring him off, as he had a bit of an issue. I'm not sure [if he's alright],"

Mainoo's situation is less alarming than the others, but it still adds to the load on a squad that is already under pressure. Amad Diallo is still waiting for his first club appearance this season after an ankle injury in the summer, and Matthijs de Ligt is approaching a full year out with a back injury sustained at Crystal Palace in November 2025.

The immediate issue before Tottenham is not a single long-term absence. It is the number of bodies United are trying to keep available at once, with Dorgu and Sesko the names that need the closest attention before 10 October.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →