DISCOVER WHICH MANCHESTER UNITED STARS WILL MISS THE WEST HAM CLASH
Michael Carrick confirms Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt will miss Manchester United’s clash with West Ham as the win streak nears 5.
Here’s the latest on Man United’s injury list and who’s likely to return when they take on West Ham.
Man United head to the London Stadium on Tuesday night without three key players. All of them are still recovering. Michael Carrick, who’s already chalked up four straight wins since taking over, is aiming to stretch that run to five. United are right in the mix for a Champions League spot now, just three points off third-placed Aston Villa.
They’ll want to keep racking up points, but after the West Ham game, there’s nearly a two-week gap before they play Everton. That’s not enough time for any of the injured guys to make it back for West Ham, though Carrick’s hoping at least one of them will be ready for the Everton trip later this month.
So, who’s out? The same trio that missed the weekend win over the Spurs. None of them will feature in East London. De Ligt hasn’t played since beating Crystal Palace at the end of November. Carrick says it’s still too soon to predict exactly when he’ll be fit again.
Dorgu is dealing with a hamstring injury from the Arsenal match last month. He’ll be out for about two months and probably won’t return until after the March international break. Mount has already missed the last two games after picking up a small knock in training. He won’t make it in time for West Ham, but Carrick expects him back to face Everton.
“Mason probably won’t be ready for Tuesday, probably after, but definitely by the Everton game, he’ll be back,” Carrick told reporters before the match. “Matta, we’ll see how he gets on… the Everton game still feels a way off, so we’ll just have to watch his progress. He’s doing well, heading in the right direction, but Mason’s a bit closer.”
BARCELONA IDENTIFY LISANDRO MARTINEZ AS PRIMARY DEFENSIVE TARGET FOR SUMMER TRANSFER
Barcelona are circling Lisandro Martinez as Manchester United scouts monitor Brentford’s Michael Kayode for a summer defensive reshuffle.
Manchester United look set for some big changes at the back this summer. Barcelona are circling one of their centre-backs, and United scouts have started watching a standout Premier League right-back.
Up front, there’s talk United might go back in for a striker they missed out on last summer, hoping to add more firepower.
Let’s start with the Barcelona situation. The Spanish giants have their eyes on Lisandro Martinez, and with his contract running down at Old Trafford, things could get interesting. United can still trigger an option to keep him until 2028, but until that’s sorted, there’s a risk he could be lured away.
Barcelona seem to think they can pull off a deal for Martinez. They’ll need to meet United’s price—he only joined from Ajax in 2022, and the club has no plans to sell. Still, Barcelona and a few other clubs are watching him closely, ready to tempt him with a move.
Barcelona’s defenders are all right-footed, so Martinez would give them something they’re missing. With his contract situation up in the air, United have a real reason to worry—but also a chance to lock him down for the long haul. The transfer window is closed for now, so United have a few months to sort things out before the summer.
Martinez is 28, so whatever deal comes next probably covers his best years. Moving to LaLiga would be a brand new adventure for him. But if Barcelona want him, they’ll have to wait and see what happens.
There’s also a side story here with Marcus Rashford. Barcelona and United are expected to talk this summer about his future, since he’s currently on loan with Hansi Flick’s team.
Switching over to United’s own defensive plans, they’ve started keeping tabs on Brentford right-back Michael Kayode. City are already interested in him as an alternative to Newcastle’s Tino Livramento, but United are now in the mix, along with Newcastle themselves.
Graeme Bailey at TEAMtalk says United have recently scouted Kayode in case they decide to move on from Diogo Dalot this summer. Brentford don’t feel any pressure to sell—their asking price is at least £50 million, and Kayode just joined from Fiorentina last year. He’s not pushing for a move either.
If Kayode does go on the market, United would be up against heavyweights like Real Madrid, PSG, and Bayern Munich. Even so, he’s someone to watch if United decide to shake up their right-back options.
On the attacking front, United haven’t forgotten about Liam Delap. If Chelsea decides to cut ties with him at the end of the season, United could make their move. Delap’s future at Stamford Bridge is still up in the air—injuries have made his debut season tough, and while Chelsea say they’re backing him, patience won’t last forever.
United were interested in Delap before, and that hasn’t changed. If Chelsealetst him go, United won’t be the only ones interested. Newcastle, Everton, Brighton, and Sunderland are all keeping an eye on him, I'm too.
It might come down to which club needs him the most. Right now, Unitleansean has Benjamin Sesko as their main striker, with Joshua Zirkzee backing him up, after letting Rasmus Hojlund leave last summer.
BRUNO FERNANDES IS FINALLY REACHING HIS PEAK UNDER MICHAEL CARRICK’S LEADERSHIP
Michael Carrick’s Manchester United secured a fourth straight win as Bruno Fernandes clinical strike downed a 10-man Tottenham.
Bruno Fernandes made it clear: right now, Manchester United isn’t looking too far ahead. They just want to win their next game. After beating Tottenham on Saturday, the team’s now racked up four Premier League wins in a row. Michael Carrick, still the interim manager, is keeping his 100% record going.
Carrick’s done well since stepping in—United have taken down Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham, and now Spurs, all back-to-back. They’re sitting fourth in the league, so a Champions League spot is well within reach.
Saturday’s match started with a bit of chaos. Bryan Mbeumo scored first, right after Cristian Romero got a straight red card just 29 minutes in. Spurs had looked good up to that point, but losing Romero changed things.
Fernandes put the game to bed with a late goal. Afterwards, he told the BBC, “Winning just boosts our confidence more and more. That matters. But we can’t get carried away. This run is great, sure, but we have to keep pushing.”
He didn’t sugarcoat what happens if they slip up. “If you stop winning, you fall right back to where you were—doubting yourself and struggling. We don’t want that. Right now, we’re doing everything Michael and the staff ask. We’re taking responsibility, being brave on the pitch, and playing to win.”
He kept his eyes on what’s next. “Four wins in a row is nice, but the real goal’s five. That’s all we’re thinking about.”
Talking about his goal, Fernandes said, “We needed to finish the job. Even though we controlled most of the game, anything can happen. Tottenham have quality players up front who can turn things around fast. We could’ve maybe scored another one or two, but breaking down a low block isn’t easy.”
He gave Spurs some credit,t too. “Even with ten men, they defended hard and stayed aggressive. They made it tough for us.” Bruno Fernandes made it clear: right now, Manchester United isn’t looking too far ahead. They just want to win their next game. After beating Tottenham on Saturday, the team’s now racked up four Premier League wins in a row. Michael Carrick, still the interim manager, is keeping his 100% record going.
Carrick’s done well since stepping in—United have taken down Manchester City, Arsenal, Fulham, and now Spurs, all back-to-back. They’re sitting fourth in the league, so a Champions League spot is well within reach.
Saturday’s match started with a bit of chaos. Bryan Mbeumo scored first, right after Cristian Romero got a straight red card just 29 minutes in. Spurs had looked good up to that point, but losing Romero changed things.
Fernandes put the game to bed with a late goal. Afterwards, he told the BBC, “Winning just boosts our confidence more and more. That matters. But we can’t get carried away. This run is great, sure, but we have to keep pushing.”
He didn’t sugarcoat what happens if they slip up. “If you stop winning, you fall right back to where you were—doubting yourself and struggling. We don’t want that. Right now, we’re doing everything Michael and the staff ask. We’re taking responsibility, being brave on the pitch, and playing to win.”
He kept his eyes on what’s next. “Four wins in a row is nice, but the real goal’s five. That’s all we’re thinking about.”
Talking about his goal, Fernandes said, “We needed to finish the job. Even though we controlled most of the game, anything can happen. Tottenham have quality players up front who can turn things around fast. We could’ve maybe scored another one or two, but breaking down a low block isn’t easy.”
He gave Spurs some credi,t too. “Even with ten men, they defended hard and stayed aggressive. They made it tough for us.”