Manchester Derby Crisis: United's Injury List Revealed as City Clash Looms
Sentiment is shifting toward cautious optimism for Saturday's Manchester Derby on the red side of Manchester, with Michael Carrick's comeback marking yet another fresh beginning.
Fans had become frustrated with Ruben Amorim's rigid approach, though INEOS remained committed to supporting the Portuguese manager until tensions arose with director Jason Wilcox.
Darren Fletcher was satisfied with his brief two-match tenure, paving the way for Carrick's second temporary appointment. His initial stint was short-lived but proved successful, securing victories against Villarreal and Arsenal while earning a draw at Chelsea.
Carrick isn't a tactical visionary who will mesmerize with innovative strategies, but his time at Middlesbrough demonstrated his ability as a shrewd manager capable of devising clever match plans for specific encounters.
The former central midfielder understands the significance of this matchup, having participated in it 30 times as a player, though a tactical battle with Pep Guardiola will likely prove more challenging than any City midfield he previously encountered. He'll have the advantage of a mostly fit squad for City's arrival, though Carrick will be missing several players for the derby.
Here are the players Man Utd will be without for Saturday's encounter.
Matthijs de Ligt
Matthijs de Ligt
De Ligt hasn't featured since completing the full 90 minutes in Man Utd's 2–1 victory over Crystal Palace on November 30.
His back problem was originally characterized as a "minor issue" by former boss Amorim, but it's now evident that the injury is far more significant than initially believed.
Seven days after minimizing De Ligt's condition, Amorim acknowledged he needed to be "cautious" with the center-back, as he was experiencing recurring discomfort.
Carrick has confirmed that the Dutch defender is still "dealing with some problems" and remains unavailable.
Noussair Mazraoui
Noussair Mazraoui
Mazraoui has been in the starting lineup for every Morocco match at the Africa Cup of Nations, and the tournament hosts, who entered as pre-tournament favorites, have reached Sunday's final following a penalty shootout victory over Nigeria.
Morocco will face Senegal in the championship match, ensuring Mazraoui's absence from Man Utd duty this weekend.
Regardless of the final's outcome, Carrick should have the defender back for the subsequent weekend when United travels to face Premier League table-toppers Arsenal. Mazraoui struggled to adapt to Amorim's 3-4-2-1 formation but is expected to become Carrick's preferred right-back in a traditional four-man defense.
Shea Lacey
Shea Lacey
The 18-year-old Lacey earned his first-team debut as a late substitute in Man Utd's 2–1 loss to Aston Villa on December 21, and was then utilized as a substitute in both matches under Fletcher's guidance.
Nevertheless, his appearance in the FA Cup clash with Brighton & Hove Albion ended prematurely due to a second booking, which he received for petulantly bouncing the ball after disagreeing with the referee's decision to award Brighton a free-kick following his tackle on Ferdi Kadıoğlu.
Consequently, Lacey must serve a one-match ban and will be unavailable for the derby.