Luke Shaw in Contention for Man Utd Despite Injury List Ahead of Derby
Manchester United head into Sunday's derby against Manchester City with Luke Shaw in contention despite fresh fitness concerns, while a lengthy list of other absentees continues to limit Michael Carrick's options.
Shaw missed Thursday's 4-0 Champions League win over Sabah, with Patrick Dorgu deputising impressively at left-back and earning UEFA's player of the match award. Shaw is expected to be included in the squad for the derby, though it remains unclear whether he will be fit enough to start against a City side built around relentless movement, or whether he'll instead be eased back from the bench.
Carlos Baleba remains unavailable and has yet to make his United debut since his £70m move from Brighton, still working his way back from the ankle ligament injury he picked up in a pre-season friendly against Strasbourg. Amad Diallo also remains out, while Matthijs de Ligt is nearing a return and Manuel Ugarte continues as a longer-term absentee. Third-choice goalkeeper Tom Heaton is unavailable through a hamstring issue picked up in pre-season, though his absence is not expected to shape team selection. With the squad already thin, United will be relying on fringe players to step up once again, having successfully done so against Sabah in midweek.