Shaw set to miss Brighton but expected back for Fulham as De Ligt and Amad remain sidelined

Luke Shaw is doubtful for Manchester United’s Carabao Cup third-round tie against Brighton on Wednesday but is expected to return for the Premier League fixture against Fulham at Old Trafford on Sunday, head coach Michael Carrick has confirmed.

The 31-year-old left-back has missed back-to-back matches — the Champions League win over Sabah and Sunday’s Manchester derby — with a minor injury, ending a run of 41 consecutive Premier League starts. Carrick stopped short of guaranteeing Shaw’s availability for the Brighton game but indicated the absence would be brief.

“He could possibly be fit for Brighton, but it’s not clear-cut. But it’s a matter of a few days rather than anything else,” Carrick said.

In Shaw’s absence, Patrick Dorgu has deputised at left-back — a position he had not previously filled under Carrick. The Denmark international was at fault for Erling Haaland’s winner in the derby, yet Carrick defended the 22-year-old and suggested he remains an option in the role. Noussair Mazraoui provides another alternative, while 19-year-old Harry Amass is in contention for minutes in the cup tie.

“Pat played fantastically well the other night, and I thought he did a lot of good things on Sunday, to be honest,” Carrick said. “That’s why we’ve got the squad, to fill in different things. Injuries aren’t ideal, but we’ve got to deal with them.”

The picture is less optimistic for centre-back Matthijs de Ligt and winger Amad. De Ligt is back in training after nearly nine months out with a back injury, but United are managing his comeback carefully and he is not expected to feature this week. Amad, meanwhile, is likely to return after the upcoming international break.

“Amad, not quite close in terms of days, but we’ll see as the week progresses,” Carrick said. “And Matta’s just working his way back, really, so because of the time frame and how it’s been, I don’t really want to put too much time frame on it.”

Shaw has endured persistent fitness problems across his 12 years at Old Trafford, though he remained available throughout the entirety of last season — a campaign that carried less physical load than usual given United’s absence from European competition.