Only two real updates, from a Manchester United team news perspective, as we head into the derby on Sunday: Matthijs de Ligt and Luke Shaw. We’ll start with the former, who is nearing a return, after having recovered from back surgery.
‘It’s positive,” United manager Michael Carrick said, heading into his side’s 4-0 route of Sabah in their Champions League opener last night.
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Kickoff: Sun. Sept 13, 4:30pm, Old Trafford
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“He’s trained really well, but we’re still managing it. When you’re out for such a long period of time, you get to the final stages, pushing and pushing, and you’ve got to manage that last stage.”
“It’s important to get that balance right to take the next step. But he’s on track, in a good place. Hopefully, some time soon.”
De Ligt, who has been out of action, due to that lower back injury, since the middle of last season, obviously won’t be in the squad on Sunday. However, he could return before the month ends.
As for the latter, Carrick offered this update, after the UCL triumph last night:
“We’ll have to see. We looked after him a little bit going into tonight. He wasn’t quite ready for it, 100 percent, so we didn’t risk it. But we’ll see how he is over the next couple of days or so.”
Shaw, a player who is notoriously very injury-prone, missed the match last night, after being forced off early in the 2-2 draw with Everton.
Otherwise everything else remains the same: Carlos Baleba, Tom Heaton, Manuel Ugarte and Amad Diallo all remain sidelined.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.