Baleba Cleared as Carrick Faces United Pressure

Luke Shaw has missed three consecutive matches across all competitions, but Manchester United’s defensive depth could soon improve. The 29-year-old England international left-back, who joined United from Southampton in 2014 and is now in his 11th season with the club, last played in a 2-2 draw against Everton at Goodison Park before suffering a physical setback.

Photo: IMAGO

Michael Carrick described Shaw’s status as a day-to-day evaluation with the coaching staff preparing for kickoff. “It is really short term [with Shaw] but it is just working towards the game,” Carrick said.

Manchester United has collected four points from its first four Premier League fixtures, with one win, one draw, and two losses. The difficult opening month was made more challenging by a home elimination from the Carabao Cup against Brighton at Old Trafford, intensifying public discussion around Carrick’s leadership.

The manager, who spent 12 seasons as a player at Old Trafford, made 464 appearances for the club and won five Premier League titles alongside the 2008 UEFA Champions League. Ahead of the weekend match, he rejected descriptions of a team in crisis.

“We’ve got to put things in perspective: it’s not a catastrophe or a disaster, it’s not the end of the world, we’ve lost a couple of games recently,” Carrick said. “We feel we’ve started and been in all the games we’ve played, if not being the better team at the start of games. We’re not having a real struggle all the time.”

Carrick also confirmed that Carlos Baleba, the £70 million ($89 million) summer acquisition, has cleared injury protocols and is available for selection in this weekend’s Premier League match. The 22-year-old Cameroonian international midfielder joined Manchester United from Brighton & Hove Albion during the summer transfer window.

Baleba’s career began at French club Lille before he produced a productive spell in the Premier League. A pre-season ankle injury sustained in training delayed his club debut, and initial physical assessments had targeted his return for after the upcoming international window. His progress accelerated significantly over recent days, however, putting him in line for immediate matchday involvement.

Carrick said the squad’s internal confidence remains firm despite the external criticism, citing the team’s execution early in recent matches. “We’ve done a lot of good things, the belief comes from that,” Carrick said. “The good things we’ve done get lose in the surrounding feeling but they don’t get lost by us.”

Baleba brings athletic coverage, pressing capabilities, and central ball movement to a midfield unit that has lacked consistency through the opening four league matches. With United on four points out of a possible 12, Carrick will look to use the high-profile midfield signing and returning defensive regulars to secure a stabilizing result this weekend.