Shaw close to return but Baleba, Amad and Ugarte remain doubts for Manchester United

Manchester United head into their Carabao Cup third-round tie against Brighton on Wednesday with a depleted squad, following Sunday’s 1-0 Premier League defeat to Manchester City in the Manchester derby.

Erling Haaland scored the only goal in controversial circumstances, with Pro Ref subsequently acknowledging that an “error” had been made in allowing the strike to stand. Manager Michael Carrick must now navigate a midweek fixture at Old Trafford without several key players.

Luke Shaw

Shaw has missed United’s last two matches with an unspecified injury but appears to be the closest to a return. “Luke is not quite ready,” Carrick said. “But he is very close. It’s very small but, unfortunately, not for today.” The left-back is targeting a return against Brighton on 15 September.

Carlos Baleba

The summer signing has yet to make his debut after sustaining an ankle injury during pre-season before completing his move to Old Trafford. Carrick confirmed at the end of August that Baleba would need a further two to three weeks on the sidelines. “He’s got a little ankle issue, so maybe a couple of weeks or so, maybe three weeks,” Carrick told reporters on 28 August. “We’ll see. We knew that before, so it’s no major issue. It’ll be great to have him back when we can.” The midfielder is tentatively pencilled in for the Fulham away fixture on 20 September.

Amad Diallo

Amad has not featured at all this season after picking up a pre-season injury. There is currently no indication from the club of when the Ivory Coast international might return to the matchday squad.

Matthijs de Ligt

De Ligt has returned to training after a back injury that has kept him out since November, but Carrick has indicated that United are taking a cautious approach to reintegrating the defender. No return date has been confirmed.

Manuel Ugarte

Ugarte faces the longest road back after suffering a serious knee injury during the World Cup. The Uruguay international is expected to be sidelined for several months, with no specific timeframe yet provided by the club.