Patrick Dorgu has picked up a hamstring injury, forcing Michael Carrick to alter his approach with Manchester United after a perfect start with wins over Manchester City and Arsenal
Patrick Dorgu has been ruled out for 10 weeks with an injury(Image: Nigel French/Getty Images)
Michael Carrick has been thrown the first major curveball of his tenure as Manchester United interim head coach with the unwelcome news that Patrick Dorgu will miss 10 weeks with a hamstring injury.
Dorgu has been the stand-out performer since Carrick took over from Ruben Amorim, scoring in both the 2-0 win over Manchester City and the 3-2 away win at Arsenal. Converted from a left wingback in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system to a left winger in Carrick’s 4-2-3-1 formation, he has been a revelation.
Gary Neville summed up the change on Sky Sports: “Patrick Dorgu looked like such an average wing-back under Ruben Amorim. Further forward he looks like a completely and utterly different player.”
United will now be deprived of his services for around 10 weeks after his exertions against Arsenal saw the Denmark international pick up a hamstring injury. He is likely to miss eight Premier League games, with a potential return coming against Leeds on April 11.
Carrick named the same starting XI for his first two matches in charge but has now been forced to adapt. So how will he do it? Mirror Football takes a look at the options available to the United boss.
FOLLOW OUR MAN UTD FB PAGE! Latest United news and more on our dedicated Facebook page
READ MORE: Man Utd suffer major blow as Patrick Dorgu ruled out with significant injuryREAD MORE: Gary Neville singles out two Man Utd stars and reveals Jamie Redknapp text message1. Mason Mount
Carrick does not have the luxury of using Jadon Sancho or Marcus Rashford, who are both away playing the position on loan with Aston Villa and Barcelona respectively, or Alejandro Garnacho, who was sold to Chelsea for £40million in the summer after falling out with Amorim.
The most obvious replacement for Dorgu is therefore Mason Mount. The United midfielder has played off the left side as one of the attacking midfielders under Amorim’s management and is comfortable cutting inside onto his stronger right foot.
Mount was an unused substitute against Arsenal after replacing Bruno Fernandes in the Manchester Derby. The 27-year-old works hard and has the positional discipline that has made him liked by previous United bosses, despite a lacklustre return of seven goals and two assists in 66 appearances for the club.
If Carrick did opt to start Mount in the next match against Fulham, he would likely ask more from Luke Shaw going forwards on the overlap, with Mount happiest going inside.
Mason Mount is the obvious beneficiary after Patrick Dorgu’s injury(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
2. Matheus Cunha
The other most likely option is to shuffle the pack up front. Carrick has played Bryan Mbeumo as a lone striker in both of his matches so far to great effect, with the Cameroon international scoring against City and Arsenal. But the impact of Matheus Cunha off the bench in both games cannot be ignored – and the Brazilian admitted he is desperate to start.
Cunha scored a fabulous winner at Arsenal after coming off the bench for Mbeumo in the 69th minute, linking up with Kobbie Mainoo before curling into the bottom corner from outside the box. He is at his best in the middle of the pitch, ideally playing behind another striker, but has the ability to start on the left and drift inside onto his dangerous right foot.
Matheus Cunha is pushing Michael Carrick to start him(Image: Getty Images)
HAVE YOUR SAY! What is the best option for Michael Carrick? Comment below.
3. Amad
United do have a left-footer in their starting line-up: Amad. The Ivory Coast international prefers to play on the right side and cut inside, but could be repositioned on the opposite side to resemble a traditional winger. If that were the case, then Mbeumo could be moved back to the right, where he played under Amorim, with Cunha up front and Bruno Fernandes in the No.10 role.
Amad has shown positional flexibility, having been fielded as a right wingback by Amorim. However, Carrick may not want to avoid putting too many square pegs into round holes, given his early success at United has been built around simplifying things and putting players in their strongest positions.
Amad could switch wings (Image: Getty Images)
4. Shea Lacey
Carrick has repeatedly spoken about his belief in the United academy, whose reputation took a beating during the Amorim era. The ex-United midfielder has close links with the young players at the club and will be well aware of Shea Lacey’s talents.
The 18-year-old winger has made two substitute appearances in the Premier League this season, while he was sent off in the 2-1 FA Cup defeat by Brighton earlier this month. Like Amad, he is more comfortable on the right wing, cutting inside onto his left, but could be handed more opportunities in the coming weeks.
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
£49
£35
Sky
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.