Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo missed Manchester United training on Monday morning ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League meeting with Atletico Madrid.
Decisions on whether the pair travel to Spain will be made later on Monday. Benjamin Sesko, Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui were also absent from the 23-man Carrington group, while Matthijs de Ligt took part as he continued his recovery.
Atletico await in a crucial European test
United are preparing for a difficult assignment in the Spanish capital, with Atletico sitting second in La Liga.
Diego Simeone’s side will enter the fixture after four consecutive victories, a sequence which includes a win over city rivals Real Madrid.
The match therefore represents a major test for Michael Carrick and his players, particularly with several members of the first-team squad currently unavailable or facing late fitness checks.
Carrick faces two late travel decisions
The Manchester Evening News states that Shaw and Mainoo could still travel, depending on decisions made later in the day.
United’s three goalkeepers in the training sesssion were Senne Lammens, Tom Heaton and Dermot Mee, suggesting that Karl Darlow may also be injured.
The defensive group contained Harry Maguire, De Ligt, Harry Amass, Dan Armer, Diogo Dalot, Lisandro Martinez, Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven.
Mason Mount, Jack Fletcher, Youri Tielemans, Carlos Baleba, Andrey Santos and Bruno Fernandes made up the midfield contingent.
Shea Lacey, Joshua Zirkzee, Bryan Mbeumo, Marcus Rashford, Matheus Cunha and Amad were the forwards in training.
Sesko, Dorgu and Mazraoui injury histories
Sesko is currently sidelined with a shin problem in a similar area to the injury which ruled him out of the final three matches of last season and the entirety of pre-season.
Carrick discussed the striker’s condition last week, saying: “It’s a similar area, but it’s not the exact same thing again. And we’re still working through it a little bit to see how long the issue will be. We’re hoping it will be soon, obviously, but at this moment it’s still not quite clear.”
Dorgu withdrew from Denmark duty after sustaining a suspected hamstring injury against Wales. He is expected to remain unavailable for several weeks.
Mazraoui, meanwhile, pulled out of Morocco’s squad last month after picking up a knock against Lesotho. A late call was considered before the Tottenham Hotspur game, but the defender ultimately failed to make the squad.
De Ligt travelled to Old Trafford with the United group for the games against Tottenham and Fulham but was not named among the substitutes on either occasion as his comeback from surgery continues.
Shaw and Mainoo remain the two players to watch before United depart, while Carrick must otherwise prepare for Atletico without Sesko, Dorgu and Mazraoui.
Final Thoughts
- Shaw and Mainoo missed Monday’s training session.
- Late decisions will determine whether the pair travel to Madrid.
- Sesko, Dorgu and Mazraoui were also absent.
- De Ligt trained as he continued his recovery from back surgery.
Featured image by Julian Finney via Getty Images
