Manchester United arrive in Saturday night’s clash at Stamford Bridge without Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martínez, and Matthijs de Ligt. Between suspensions and injuries, Michael Carrick is left dealing with a defensive nightmare that couldn’t have come at a worse time. The appeal over Martínez’s red card failed, the suspensions are set in stone, and the team travelling to West London tonight will field a back line that nobody would have predicted at the start of the season.
The failed appeal that left Manchester United scrambling for answers
Maguire picked up an extra one-match ban and a £30,000 fine for his outburst at the fourth official after his red card against Bournemouth. Meanwhile, Martínez was sent off after VAR caught him pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair during a jump against Leeds, which was a soft bit of contact, but technically violent conduct. Manchester United tried to fight it, but Carrick confirmed in his press conference that the appeal went nowhere. Martínez is staying home.
De Ligt has now sat out 19 straight Premier League games with a back injury, and there’s still no word on when he’ll be back. Losing all three at once leaves United without a single senior centre-back for the night. When you look at who has to step in, it really highlights the hole Carrick is in.
How do Ayden Heaven and Leny Yoro carry an improbable burden?
Yoro is the veteran of the pair at just 20, while Heaven is still a teenager. They both have talent, but throwing them into a high-pressure match like this is a massive gamble. They have played together before, but only in a back three, never as a duo without someone there to help them out. On top of that, Heaven hasn’t started a game since January’s draw with Burnley. It’s a massive ask to bring him back into the lineup against a Chelsea side desperate for Champions League football.
The situation is simple. Manchester United are in third, seven points ahead of Chelsea. A win tonight puts them 10 points clear and basically locks in a Champions League spot, especially since fifth place is now enough to qualify. But a loss cuts that lead to just four points with only five games left to play.
Patrick Dorgu is still training alone after his hamstring injury in January. He might be back by the end of April, but he’s out tonight. This leaves Carrick with no natural cover on the left, making an already thin defence look even more fragile.
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The Mainoo question that could change everything
While everyone was worried about the defence on Friday, the big talk was Kobbie Mainoo. Carrick mentioned before the Leeds loss that Mainoo had a small knock, which was just enough to keep him out of that game. You could really tell he was missing against Leeds; Casemiro and Ugarte just couldn’t keep the ball the way Mainoo does when things get tight.
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The good news is that Mainoo trained with the group on Thursday. He’s in the mix, but it’ll be a last-minute call. Carrick noted, “Kobbie is working towards the Chelsea game. He has done little bits, so there is a decision to be made there.” If he’s fit, he’ll likely take Ugarte’s spot next to Casemiro. Even with a patched-up defence, that midfield pairing give Manchester United a real shot at dictating play against a Chelsea team that have slumped to four losses in their last five games. Without him, the team look a lot more vulnerable, and tonight, United can’t afford any more weak spots.
