Shaw doubtful and Baleba still out as United return to Champions League against Sabah FK

Manchester United return to the Champions League for the first time since the 2023/24 season when they host Azerbaijani side Sabah FK at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening, with manager Michael Carrick weighing up several injury concerns ahead of kick-off.

Sabah, founded only in 2017, defied considerable odds to reach this stage and arrive as heavy underdogs. United are expected to win comfortably, though Carrick will be mindful of Sunday’s Manchester derby when finalising his team selection.

Luke Shaw — Fatigue

Shaw missed training on Wednesday after being given an extra recovery day following the weekend fixture. Carrick moved to play down concerns, saying: “We just gave him an extra recovery day today, Luke. So, obviously we’ll see by tomorrow how he is, but it’s not an ongoing thing or a plan or anything like that. It was just off the back of the game the other day. Each individual has kind of different little things that we manage, and Luke was one of them today.” Shaw could return as soon as the Sabah match itself, with the City derby on September 13 the next option if he is held back.

Marcus Rashford — Unknown

Rashford was withdrawn as a precaution on 70 minutes against Everton after Carrick confirmed he “felt something” during the game. The forward trained on Wednesday, however, and is expected to be available for selection tonight.

Carlos Baleba — Ankle

The defensive midfielder arrived from Brighton & Hove Albion carrying an ankle problem sustained during pre-season, which has prevented him from making his United debut. Carrick indicated at the end of August that Baleba faced a 2-3 week absence, and his non-appearance in Wednesday’s training session suggests he remains sidelined. A return against Brighton on September 16 is the current target.

Amad — Unknown

Amad has been absent since picking up an injury before the opening-day defeat to Hull City. Carrick has said the Ivorian winger is in a race to be fit before the international break, with a potential return pencilled in for the Fulham fixture on September 20.

Matthijs de Ligt — Back

The centre-back has been missing since November’s victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. What began as a minor back complaint worsened over the course of the season, eventually requiring surgery in May. De Ligt has recently returned to outdoor training with teammates, but was absent from the training group on Wednesday, leaving his return date uncertain.