Carrick faces nine absentees as injury-hit Man Utd travel to Como in must-win Champions League clash

Manchester United travel to Como on Wednesday for a must-win Champions League fixture carrying an injury list of nine players, with manager Michael Carrick admitting the squad is stretched thin ahead of the trip to Italy.

Kobbie Mainoo and Luke Shaw both missed last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Leeds United at Elland Road and will not feature against Cesc Fabregas’s side. Carrick told reporters that Mainoo is likely to be sidelined for around another ten days, while Shaw faces a longer spell on the treatment table. Lisandro Martinez, who was substituted at half-time against Leeds, is also absent, though Carrick suggested the Argentine defender could be available for the weekend Premier League fixture against Bournemouth.

Marcus Rashford remains sidelined with a niggling hip problem sustained during the World Cup, while Ayden Heaven misses out through illness for the second consecutive game. Longer-term absentees Manuel Ugarte, Patrick Dorgu and Benjamin Sesko complete the list of unavailable players.

“A bit of a mixed bag to be honest,” Carrick said. “We’ve got quite a few missing. Licha’s not too bad, but he’s not with us, so we’ll have to see whether he’s ready for the weekend or not. Kobbie, we’re probably looking at another maybe ten days or so, but not exact. Luke a little bit longer than that. A bit of injury and a bit of illness in the camp floating through us.”

The result at Elland Road extended United’s winless run to six matches — three defeats and three draws — and has increased scrutiny on Carrick, who was handed the permanent head coach role following a successful caretaker stint.

Como arrive at the fixture with their own selection problems. Fabregas can call on only 15 players due to a combination of injuries and a structural issue stemming from the club’s rapid ascent from Serie D to Serie A. Squad registration rules require a minimum number of club-trained and Italian-trained players, and Como’s still-developing academy has left them unable to fill all available slots. Trevoh Chalobah, Moise Kean and Assane Diano are all ruled out through injury, depriving Fabregas of three of his most prominent summer acquisitions.

Como and United share an identical Champions League record heading into the match, with both sides having won once and lost once in the competition so far.