Nine players sidelined as winless Carrick faces Bournemouth with United 13th

Manchester United host Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday in a Premier League fixture that carries mounting urgency, with head coach Michael Carrick yet to win in seven matches across all competitions and up to nine players unavailable between the two sides.

Carrick’s position is under increasing scrutiny after a 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como on Wednesday, a result made more damaging by how comprehensively Cesc Fabregas’ side controlled proceedings. United sit 13th in the Premier League table with just one win from their opening seven matches, and Sunday’s 2pm kick-off offers little margin for further drift.

Bournemouth arrive in similarly modest league form — one point and two places below United — but Marco Rose’s side will carry confidence from a 3-0 Europa League win over AC Milan on Thursday, a result that adds a layer of psychological complexity to the fixture.

On the injury front, Carrick’s squad is stretched. Benjamin Sesko remains sidelined with a shin injury, and the head coach offered no firm return date at Friday’s press conference despite earlier promising an update on the Slovenian striker. Kobbie Mainoo is also out with a muscular problem, though Carrick indicated he could be back within ten days, pointing to a potential return against Chelsea the following week.

Luke Shaw faces a longer absence, with the left-back not expected back until early November through an undisclosed injury. Patrick Dorgu is unavailable after picking up a thigh injury during the international break, while Manuel Ugarte faces the most serious setback of all — an ACL injury sustained while representing Uruguay at the World Cup rules him out until 2027.

There is some positive news for Carrick heading into the weekend. Lisandro Martinez did not travel to Como but could return to full fitness in time to face Bournemouth. Marcus Rashford is also in contention after missing recent fixtures with a hip knock, and Ayden Heaven, who sat out the last two matches through illness, is reportedly close to being available again.

The combination of a depleted squad, a run of poor results, and the psychological weight of Wednesday’s heavy European defeat makes Sunday’s home fixture against a Bournemouth side fresh from a continental victory one of the more consequential early-season tests of Carrick’s tenure.