Man Utd team news update: 5 players could miss Man City trip

Manchester United get back to Premier League action following the international break when they take on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Erik ten Hag has a number of fitness issues to deal with ahead of the game with several first team squad players needing to be assessed at Carrington before their availability this weekend is known.

According to the Manchester Evening News, Marcus Rashford is a doubt to face City on Sunday after missing training this week. The striker suffered a muscle injury during Man Utd’s win over Arsenal on September 4th and has not been able to train for the last three weeks.

Rashford had just been returning to form so his injury was a blow for United, particularly with Anthony Martial also on the sidelines. The Frenchman has only played 45 minutes of first team football in two months due to hamstring and Achilles injuries. The M.E.N says Martial has not been able to take part in full training since late August so is a major doubt for the trip to the Etihad this weekend.

Manchester United will also need to assess Harry Maguire today after he was seen limping at the end of England’s 3-3 draw with Germany at Wembley in midweek. The centre-back appears to have picked up a thigh problem so could miss the City clash on Sunday.

Concerns

It would be another blow for ten Hag – although Maguire is unlikely to have started even if fit as Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have been Man Utd’s first choice central defenders for the past few weeks.

Donny van de Beek is another fitness doubt this weekend as he’s missed the last three games with a knock while goalkeeper Martin Dubravka was forced to withdraw from the Slovakia squad during the break due to a muscle issue.

All five of Man Utd’s fitness concerns will be checked at training over the next 24-48 hours before a final decision is made over their involvement against Man City.

Ten Hag could provide another update at his pre-match press conference on Friday afternoon but the United boss may choose to give little away as he prepares his squad to take on the defending champions.