Manchester United will again be missing Patrick Dorgu when they host Roma in the Champions League, though the London Evening Standard reports that Youri Tielemans could be brought straight back into the starting side. Dorgu trained with the squad on Monday for the first time, but head coach Michael Carrick said the wing-back would not feature in the league phase fixture. The match comes with Carrick under heavy pressure, and the Standard notes that Roma were the opponents on a memorable European night earlier in his United story.
Why it matters
United's options at left-back remain thin. Luke Shaw is also unavailable because of a muscle injury, which has forced Carrick to improvise in recent games. Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui have filled in from their usual right-back role, while centre-back Leny Yoro has been used as a makeshift full-back on the right, with Ayden Heaven also available there. According to the Standard, Dorgu's return had been seen as a possible answer to that problem, but his comeback will have to wait.
Carrick told reporters that Dorgu's first session with the group was a positive step but that he would not be ready for this game. The Standard quotes him saying it was good to have the player back and that the club would monitor his progress over the coming week.
Dorgu back on the grass, but not in the squad
Dorgu, signed from Lecce, has been out of action, and his return to team training was flagged by ESPN ahead of the Roma fixture. The Standard reports that Carrick was asked about him directly and confirmed he would not be involved. That leaves United's left side as a patchwork again, with Shaw still recovering from his muscle issue.
The defensive reshuffle has been a recurring theme in recent matches. Yoro, normally a central defender, has been deployed on the right of the back line, while Dalot has shifted across. The Standard's predicted XI keeps that pattern, with Yoro at right-back, Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez in the middle, and Dalot on the left.
Further forward, the absences pile up
United are also without Marcus Rashford, who the Standard says has been troubled by a hip problem. The issue kept him out of the defeats to Como and Bournemouth, and he was not considered fit enough to face Chelsea. He has not returned to training and will not play against Roma.
Benjamin Sesko remains a longer-term absentee. The Standard reports that the Slovenian is still working his way back from a shin problem that affected his first season at the club and has limited his involvement in the current campaign. With Sesko unavailable, Bryan Mbeumo is expected to lead the attack, supported by Matheus Cunha from the left.
There is better news in midfield. Kobbie Mainoo trained before the trip to Chelsea and came on as a substitute at Stamford Bridge, and the Standard suggests he could start here. Who partners him is less clear: Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba have all been rotated in recent weeks as Carrick searches for a combination that works. The Standard's projected line-up pairs Mainoo with Tielemans.
Bruno Fernandes, restored to the side at Chelsea after being left out against Bournemouth, is expected to continue as the No10, with Amad Diallo a candidate on the right. Senne Lammens is named in goal in the Standard's forecast.
A fixture loaded with history
The Standard frames the tie around Carrick's personal history with Roma, recalling a "special" night the Italian club gave him earlier in his tenure. The Telegraph, meanwhile, reports that a Roma win could leave United at a 48-year low, underlining the stakes for a coach whose position has been the subject of mounting speculation.
BBC has published the Champions League statistics and head-to-head record for the fixture, and United's own website carried a fitness update before the game. None of that changes the central problem for Carrick: a squad missing its first-choice left-back, its most experienced wide forward and its main striker, with a midfield still being shuffled.
The Standard's predicted United XI is Lammens; Yoro, Maguire, Martinez, Dalot; Mainoo, Tielemans; Amad, Fernandes, Cunha; Mbeumo, set up in a 4-2-3-1.
What happens next: Carrick's team selection will be confirmed before kick-off, and Dorgu's progress over the following week will determine whether he is available for United's next outing.
