Diogo Dalot Injury Rocks Man Utd as Fitness Crisis Deepens

Manchester United's Diogo Dalot has pulled out of Portugal's national team roster following an injury setback.

The defender was expected to feature in at least one of Portugal's upcoming fixtures against Armenia and Hungary this month, but suffered muscular issues during training sessions.

Dalot was among just three United players who featured in both the Grimsby Town and Burnley matches in rapid succession—Matheus Cunha also started both games but was forced off after 31 minutes in the latter fixture.

The club hopes that withdrawing from international commitments and returning to Manchester will prevent the injury from becoming more severe. Bruno Fernandes continues with the Portugal national setup.

Whether Dalot will miss any upcoming club fixtures remains uncertain. The extent of Cunha's potential absence is also unclear, though the Brazilian shared an encouraging message on social platforms. Mason Mount was the third player unable to complete the Burnley encounter, being substituted at the interval as a precautionary measure.

Dalot operated on the right side in United's opening three matches of the campaign, starting twice and coming on as a substitute for Amad Diallo at wing-back during the Fulham stalemate. However, he was deployed on the left flank against Burnley, with Ruben Amorim choosing to bench Patrick Dorgu.

If Dalot remains unavailable when club action resumes later this month—United face their city rivals at the Etihad Stadium on September 14—Dorgu would probably reclaim his position on the left side.

After experiencing difficulties under Ole Gunnar Solskjær and spending the 2020–21 campaign on loan with AC Milan, Dalot has become a regular starter over recent seasons. He claimed the club's Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year honor for 2023–24, as chosen by his teammates, and has gained well-deserved recognition for his courage in addressing the press following disappointing performances.