Man United head coach Michael Carrick confirms double injury blow as fresh Benjamin Sesko fitness update is given

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick has confirmed that Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo are out of Tuesday's Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid.

Neither Shaw nor Mainoo trained with the Red Devils on Monday morning, sparking fears that they could be absent for the clash with Diego Simeone's team.

Carrick has now confirmed that the duo have stayed behind in Manchester to recover from injuries which were sustained in Saturday's Premier League clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

"They haven't travelled. Luke and Kobbie had issues in the game on Saturday, so we're kind of working through that to see where it, to see what that looks like. At the moment, they're not ready for the game tomorrow," Carrick told reporters.

When asked about Benjamin Sesko's ongoing absence, the Englishman said: "We're still waiting during this week to do a few extra tests. We need to be right at the top of it and make sure we keep doing the right things. At this moment, I haven't really got a better timeframe for it."

Shaw, Mainoo to miss Man United's clash with Atletico

Sesko has missed Man United's last two matches due to a recurrence of a shin issue which he sustained at the end of last season.

There are fears that the striker's issue has become chronic.

Man United will also be missing Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui through injury on Tuesday, but Matthijs de Ligt has travelled; the Netherlands international is in line to make a matchday squad for the first time in almost a year, having finally recovered from a long-term back problem.

Highly-rated 18-year-old defender Dan Armer has also made the trip to Madrid.

De Ligt has made a timely return for Man United

"We've got a couple of issues with some players missing out, but we're definitely not light on numbers," said Carrick. "I think it's good for the likes of Dan to be part of it and the young players to sample it in these types of nights, the build-up to the game, being around the group, getting a sense of it, getting a feel for it.

"It's good to have Matta back in and around it. He's been out for a long period of time, a little bit of patience with him and working through, but again, for him to be back around it, it's fantastic. He's worked so hard to get to this stage, he's had a long journey, so we're delighted to have him back.

"I'm definitely comfortable with him playing, of course. I think there is the element of when that time is and how much it is. I think he played a little bit of the Lausanne game, he's done a fair bit of training, but of course, it's working our way through it and not too much too soon. But definitely got confidence in him, there's no doubt about that."

Man United have only won two of their eight matches in all competitions at the start of the 2026-27 campaign, and the pressure is building on Carrick amid the team's struggles.