Seven fitness concerns in a week, a goalkeeper winning a country's No.1 shirt and a behind-closed-doors friendly: everything United's break has thrown up before Tottenham.
Manchester United do not play between the draw at Fulham on 20 September and the visit of Tottenham on Saturday 10 October, but it has not been a quiet three weeks. Several players have picked up knocks on international duty, one goalkeeper has been given the chance to become his country's first choice, and Michael Carrick is reportedly arranging a closed-door friendly. This guide pulls the threads together so you can see where the squad stands before the Premier League returns.
Where United are before the break ends
United are 12th in the Premier League with five points from five games, four behind fourth place and ten behind leaders Manchester City (our table snapshot has the detail). In all competitions they have won two of seven, a run we break down in seven games in numbers. Tottenham, the next visitors, are bottom with two points and only two goals scored, so the 17:30 kick-off is a chance to turn the page.
The injury list
The Manchester Evening News counts at least seven separate fitness concerns in the space of a week. The main ones:
- Noussair Mazraoui: substituted during Morocco's win over Lesotho after treatment for an unspecified issue. No return date has been given.
- Patrick Dorgu: limped off with a suspected hamstring injury less than half an hour into Denmark's win over Wales, having already been substituted in the previous match against Norway. He was seen holding the back of his left thigh and was replaced by Mohammed Daramy. He returned to Carrington for assessment.
- Bruno Fernandes: has been managing a knock since the Champions League win over Sabah. Portugal coach Jorge Jesus said Fernandes "played with an injury he brought from Manchester United" and had been dealing with the pain for about three games. He played 89 minutes against Wales, missed the win in Norway, and United are understood to be in regular contact with the Portugal camp.
- Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo: both were withdrawn from the England squad at the start of the break. Rashford had come off against Fulham with what Carrick called "a bit of an issue", and is targeting the Tottenham game. Mainoo's availability is unclear.
- Benjamin Šeško: missed the Fulham draw with a shin problem and withdrew from Slovenia's squad. His national coach Bostjan Cesar called it "an atypical injury that requires time to heal", and no return date has been given.
Why the injuries matter more than the numbers suggest
A squad of 33 sounds deep (see our full squad guide), but the problems cluster in a few areas. Šeško is the first-choice striker, Fernandes the captain and the creative centre of the team, and Dorgu and Mazraoui are two of the available full-back options. Fernandes in particular has an excellent availability record since joining from Sporting in 2020, so a captain who is carrying a knock but still turning out is both a strength and a risk. Carrick will be weighing how much to ask of him.
The players doing well
- Senne Lammens: with Thibaut Courtois skipping this window after telling Belgian newspaper HLN that the coach had not guaranteed him a place, the United goalkeeper has started Belgium's games against Italy and France. He has saved 11 of the 12 shots he faced, preventing goals worth 1.32 in expected-goals terms, and will add to his five caps against Turkey and France. It is a turnaround from the World Cup quarter-final against Spain, where he conceded a late goal after coming on for the injured Courtois.
- Joshua Zirkzee: was called up by the Netherlands to replace the injured Brian Brobbey, a rare piece of good news for a forward who has made only four appearances for United this season.
- Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu: both scored for their countries earlier in the window (Cameroon and Denmark), a boost for two players who have faced criticism this season.
What Carrick is doing with the time
The Telegraph, via the Manchester Evening News, reports that United are scheduled to play a behind-closed-doors friendly against Lausanne-Sport, the Swiss club that is also owned by United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. The date and venue have not been confirmed. Lausanne are bottom of the Swiss Super League with one win from nine, so it is not a test of top-level quality, but it gives Carrick match minutes for fringe players and a chance to try new combinations. The backroom team he is working with has also been strengthened: Connor King has joined as assistant goalkeeping coach (more in our behind-the-scenes piece).
Wayne Rooney, meanwhile, has publicly apologised to Šeško after earlier doubting the striker's willingness to play through pain, a reminder of how quickly a fitness story can turn into a debate.
What to watch on 10 October
- Whether Rashford is fit and whether he starts.
- Who leads the line with Šeško out: Zirkzee is the obvious candidate.
- How Fernandes looks in his first game after the break.
- Whether Lammens carries his international form into the club side.
Check our Tottenham preview for form and head-to-head context, and the October fixtures guide for the demanding run that follows, including Atletico Madrid away on 13 October.
Reporting used
This piece is our own analysis, built from the following reporting and our own results and table data. We link to the original stories so you can read them in full.
- Manchester Evening News: Man Utd: Sesko pulls out of Slovenia duty as United manage his shin problem
- Manchester Evening News: Man Utd: Carrick to use behind-closed-doors friendly with Lausanne-Sport to reset United's season
- Manchester Evening News: Man Utd: Zirkzee called into Netherlands squad to replace injured Brobbey
- Manchester Evening News: Man Utd: Patrick Dorgu limps off injured during Denmark's win over Wales
- Manchester Evening News: Man Utd: Bruno Fernandes continues to manage fitness issue during Portugal duty
- Manchester Evening News: Man Utd: Senne Lammens seizes his chance as Belgium's No.1 during Courtois absence
- Manchester Evening News: Man Utd: Fernandes, Dorgu, Mazraoui: Manchester United's injury list during the international break