Mainoo and Shaw join Sesko on injury list as United travel to Atletico Madrid without key trio

Manchester United travel to Atletico Madrid on Tuesday for a Champions League fixture already complicated by a growing injury list, with Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw, and Benjamin Sesko all unavailable for the trip to Spain.

Mainoo and Shaw both picked up unspecified problems during Saturday’s 1-1 Premier League draw with Tottenham Hotspur — a match in which United were pegged back in stoppage time despite facing 10 men — and neither has travelled with the squad. Manager Michael Carrick confirmed: “They’ve not travelled, both picked up issues in the game at the weekend so they’re out.”

Sesko’s absence is longer-running. The striker has missed United’s last two Premier League matches after sustaining a shin injury in the Carabao Cup clash against Brighton last month, and was also forced to withdraw from the Slovenia squad during the international break. Carrick offered little clarity on a timeline, saying: “We’re still waiting for a few extra tests. We need to be on top of it. We haven’t got a timeframe.”

The injury concerns extend further down the squad. Full-back Patrick Dorgu came off during Denmark’s Nations League fixture against Wales and Carrick indicated he faces a significant spell on the sidelines: “Patrick came off and looks like he’ll be out for probably a number of weeks,” with a return pencilled in for late November or early December.

Noussair Mazraoui is also absent after being forced off during Morocco’s victory over Lesotho on international duty, having already missed the Tottenham match. No return date has been given.

Central defender Matthijs de Ligt, yet to make a single appearance this season due to a back problem, has at least travelled to Spain with the squad, raising the possibility of a return to contention in the near future.

Midfielder Manuel Ugarte faces the longest road back. The Uruguay international suffered a serious knee injury during the summer’s Copa America and is not expected to return until the summer of 2027.

United go into the Atletico fixture looking to build on a 4-0 win over Sabah in their previous Champions League outing. A positive result in Madrid would ease some of the pressure that has built following the weekend’s dropped points, though Carrick’s options are now considerably thinner than he would have hoped.