Baleba faces weeks out with hamstring injury after Roma comeback, ruling him out of Villa, Liverpool and Sporting

Carlos Baleba faces a significant spell on the sidelines after picking up a hamstring injury during Manchester United’s comeback win over Roma, with manager Michael Carrick confirming the 22-year-old will miss at least the next round of fixtures after the international break.

Baleba was forced off just after half-time in the victory over the Serie A side, clutching his hamstring following a driving run into the penalty area. Carrick has since ruled him out of Premier League clashes against Aston Villa and Liverpool, as well as the Champions League away fixture against Sporting in Lisbon.

“Carlos we don’t know exactly but weeks, it will not be this week or the international break,” Carrick said.

The injury is a fresh blow for the Cameroonian midfielder, who only recently returned to action after missing the start of the season with an ankle problem sustained in pre-season — his first campaign at Old Trafford following a £70 million move from Brighton.

Carrick was also cautious when asked about the potential return of Patrick Dorgu, who has been sidelined since September 20 with his own hamstring issue but returned to training earlier this week.

“Patrick has done a little bit of training this week, so we need to manage that and be patient with that. He is slowly getting back with us, so we have to see,” Carrick said.

Dorgu’s situation carries its own concern — this is the second hamstring injury the Denmark international has suffered in 2025, having previously missed three months after the January win at Arsenal, which was Carrick’s second match in charge.

With both Baleba and Dorgu unavailable or only partially fit, United’s midfield options look stretched heading into a demanding run of fixtures across the Premier League and Champions League.