United travel to Fulham with nine players doubtful as Carrick sweats on Shaw and Baleba fitness

Manchester United head to Craven Cottage on Sunday to face Fulham in the Premier League with as many as nine players unavailable, leaving manager Michael Carrick navigating one of the most congested injury lists in the division.

Carrick confirmed there is “a chance on both, really” when asked about the prospects of Luke Shaw and Carlos Baleba making the squad, though he stressed neither was “totally 100% yet”. Shaw’s problem was described as “short-term”, while Baleba — who has yet to play since his summer move from Brighton — has only recently begun integrating into group training. Matthijs de Ligt made the trip to London as a surprise inclusion, though the Dutch centre-back is unlikely to start after ten months out with a back problem.

The visit to west London comes at a difficult moment for United, who have lost their last two Premier League fixtures — including a defeat to Brighton that marked the first time in 50 years the club had surrendered a 2-0 home lead. Carrick will be eager to arrest the slide before the international break.

Benjamin Sesko was notably absent from the travelling party spotted arriving in London, adding a fresh concern to an already stretched squad. Amad is also unavailable and is not expected back until after the break, with Carrick confirming last week that his return was not imminent.

Longer-term absentees compound the problem. Manuel Ugarte underwent surgery on a knee ligament injury sustained during the World Cup and remains sidelined for the foreseeable future, while goalkeeper Tom Heaton is nursing a hamstring strain.

Fulham arrive at this fixture with injury concerns of their own. Club captain Tom Cairney, who had knee surgery over the summer, is not due back in training until after the international break. Dutch right-back Kenny Tete is also ruled out until next month following a concussion. Ryan Sessegnon is in a race against time to prove his fitness after returning from injury.