Manchester United will be without Patrick Dorgu for around 10 weeks.
The 21-year-old, who has scored in both of Michael Carrick’s games as interim manager, sustained a hamstring injury while chasing a long ball in the second half of United’s 3-2 win against Arsenal on Sunday.
The injury is unfortunate for Dorgu and the club. He had become one of United’s most improved players in recent weeks, and his ability to fill in at left-back and left-winger gave Carrick tactical versatility within matches. If the Denmark international is unavailable until early April, then Carrick and his coaching staff will have to recalibrate.
In theory, United have enough bodies at left-back to cover for Dorgu. Luke Shaw has started all 23 league games in 2025-26, the longest consecutive streak of his Premier League career. He will likely continue to be Carrick’s first choice at left-back. Diogo Dalot has some experience on that side, as does Noussair Mazraoui. Tyrell Malacia is also a possibility if Carrick wishes to bring in the 26-year-old from the (relative) cold.
But how the head coach solves the Dorgu dilemma in a more advanced left-wing position requires a little more experimentation. Here’s how he might do it.
Matheus Cunha
United appearances in 2025-26: 22
Minutes: 1,595
Goals: Five
Assists: Two
Despite being forced to make do with substitute appearances against Manchester City and Arsenal, Cunha has found ways to make his minutes count under Carrick. He provided the assist for Dorgu’s goal against City and his excellent long-range strike earned a famous victory at the Emirates a week later.
The 26-year-old is more of a second striker/inside forward than an outright left-winger, yet his attacking brilliance within the final third would represent an upgrade on Dorgu’s hardworking qualities.
Cunha is an excellent ball carrier who thrives when working in the left half-space. Cunha is not as defensively minded as Dorgu, who frequently made recovery runs deep into his own half to help Shaw deal with Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber. That said, Cunha can be excellent when protecting the ball from defenders and serving as a pressure valve for his side.
Carrick replacing Dorgu with Cunha could see Shaw given greater responsibilities to progress the ball from wider positions on the left flank. It remains to be seen whether the 30-year-old still has the running capacity to repeatedly offer the overlapping runs that will allow Cunha and the team to thrive.
Mason Mount
United appearances in 2025-26: 19
Minutes: 907
Goals: Three
Assists: One
Signed for £55million ($76m) before the 2023-24 season, Mount’s United career has not truly taken off. Injuries, illness and wider team issues have made it hard for the 27-year-old to establish a consistent starting berth. Partway through his third season, and working under his fifth head coach (including interims and caretakers), Dorgu’s injury gives him another opportunity.
Mount is more of an auxiliary playmaker than a swashbuckling maverick in the style of Cunha. Goals against Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers were reminders of his technical qualities, and throughout his career, he has earned plaudits for work when out of possession.
Mason Mount has shown flashes of inspiration but his injury record is poor (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Mount has been a go-to option for several managers due to his adeptness when leading a team’s pressing schemes, boasting an uncanny ability to switch between pressing a player, a zone, or the ball when needed. That ability to defend on the front foot may see Carrick opt for him over Cunha when United face stronger opposition, rather than teams that sit deep.
Mount’s history with Shaw may also play a role. The pair frequently played together for England in the lead-up to Euro 2020 when the backroom team included Steve Holland, now an assistant coach to Carrick.
Mount’s United career has seen him hover in a ‘nice-to-have, not need-to-have’ category of player. Can he now cement his place?
Amad/Shea Lacey
United appearances in 2025-26: Amad 18/Lacey three
Minutes: 1,466/39
Goals: Two/zero
Assists: Three/zero
Another option for Carrick would be using one of his left-footed attackers in place of Dorgu. Amad was one of the best players at the recent Africa Cup of Nations and his form has continued at United. The Ivorian is the best one-v-one attacking player in the squad, often requiring two defenders to stop him once he builds momentum within the attacking third.
The defensive aspects of his game have improved after playing at wing-back under Ruben Amorim, and though Amad is small in stature, he can be a threat when pressing high and stealing possession off defenders. Best suited to playing on the right, if Amad were deployed on the opposite flank as a more traditional winger, he would lose some of his attacking threat when cutting inside and working in central areas.
Amad has continued his fine Ivory Coast form for Manchester United (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Shea Lacey, 18, nearly scored a goal-of-the-season contender in United’s 2-2 draw with Burnley at the start of January. An unfortunate sending off against Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup third round ruled him out of Carrick’s first game in charge, but he was most recently seen scoring for United’s under-21s, coincidentally against Brighton, in a 1-1 draw.
Both of these players would be moonlighting on the left wing, rather than offering the same sort of threat as Cunha and Mount. Still, Carrick may see value in a left-footed player supplying inswinging crosses from that area.
Benjamin Sesko
United appearances in 2025-26: 20
Minutes: 1,231
Goals: Five
Assists: One
Carrick turned to Sesko when Dorgu went off in the 81st minute against Arsenal. The striker has been through a few ups and downs in his debut season at United, with his most recent purple patch occurring under caretaker manager Darren Fletcher.
Carrick has moved the Slovenia international to the bench for games against Manchester City and Arsenal, preferring to play Bryan Mbuemo as the centre-forward. It’s a decision that appears opponent-focused, rather than an assessment of Sesko’s goalscoring qualities.
“I gave Bryan a bit of a free role in many ways in a partnership with Bruno (Fernandes) last week to drift and to fill different spaces,” Carrick told reporters before facing Arsenal. “Ben’s very good at playing on the last line and runs in behind. He’s in a good place. Josh (Zirkzee) can do a bit of both and plays in the hole and links. He’s very good at bringing other people into play.”
Sesko did not score or assist against Arsenal on Sunday, but he played a crucial role in the third goal — his flick sent the ball onto Kobbie Mainoo, who nutmegged Declan Rice and provided the pass for Cunha. Sesko also made a crucial off-ball run that pinned back both of Arsenal’s centre-backs, giving Cunha further time and space to unleash his shot.
Carrick added that “certain games will suit different styles” before facing Arsenal, and he may yet turn to Sesko when he wants a more traditional No 9. The 22-year-old could lead the line, with one of the other players named above filling in at left wing. Mbeumo, who is also left-footed, could move to the right flank, cutting inside and operating as a second striker.
For every asset gained by one of his new left-wing options, there is a knock-on effect somewhere else.
Amad on the left could continue with some of the direct running threat Dorgu offered, at the cost of some of the Ivorian’s goalscoring threat on the right.
Cunha’s off-the-cuff creativity and long-range shooting should make him one of the team’s go-to options for breaking down stubborn deep defences, but his deployment at left wing could put extra strain on Shaw’s legs.
Mount could offer greater protection for his left back and allow United to press higher up the field in key moments but he, too, has a chequered injury history, and prefers to garnish rather than dominate football matches.
Dorgu’s injury presents a problem for United. The many playing options within the squad mean it is more of a ‘nice problem’ than a total head scratcher. Sunday’s game against Fulham will give us our first look at how Carrick likes to solve unexpected tactical puzzles.