Michael Carrick has five Manchester United injury concerns to contend with ahead of the Premier League clash against Leeds United

Manchester United have five players managing vastly different injury problems over the March international break. Michael Carrick has been rather fortunate regarding the fitness of his squad since his arrival as interim head coach, but that has somewhat changed over the last few weeks.

Matthijs de Ligt, Patrick Dorgu and Lisandro Martinez have all missed at least the last month, while minor fitness concerns for Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko led to them withdraw from international duty with Cameroon and Slovenia, respectively.

Neither are expected to miss the visit of Leeds United in a fortnight, with the two attackers competing for the striker spot in Carrick’s team. The duo will have spent the last week at Carrington alongside the likes of Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount.

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The latter has missed a significant period of 2026 but returned off the bench against Bournemouth earlier this month. Noussair Mazraoui missed that trip to the Vitality Stadium through illness but was able to join up with Morocco and played the full 90 minutes of their friendly against Ecuador.

Elsewhere, Martinez has not played since the draw with West Ham United in early February, but Carrick has issued a very positive update on his condition.

He said: “[Lisandro is] closer, a lot closer. He’s getting there, so after this one. I think he’ll be alright.” Given the time spent out of the team, the Argentine could be eased back into the fold.

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Dorgu and De Ligt are also yet to return from extended absences, with the latter having not played since November because of a back injury.

It is a hamstring issue for Dorgu that Carrick has confirmed will keep him out for a bit longer, but he was able to deliver a positive update on the Netherlands international before the trip to Bournemouth.

He said: “It’s [a] similar [situation] really, and frustrating for Matta. He’s obviously trying to work to get back, but it’s just the back issue, really, that’s proving difficult. We’ll keep working as hard to get him back as quickly as we can.”

While some of United’s injured defenders could be back for the game against Leeds in mid-April, Harry Maguire will definitely miss out as he serves a suspension for the red card picked up against the Cherries.

If neither De Ligt or Martinez are fit enough to feature from the off, Leny Yoro could end up being partnered at the back by Ayden Heaven.

The 19-year-old has enjoyed his international break after being called up to train with the senior England squad. He returned to the under-20s later in the week and scored in their 3-3 draw against Italy.

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Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman was faced with many questions about wideout AJ Brown from the local media at the league meetings on Sunday. Brown has been linked with a trade away from Philly this offseason, after a frustrating 2025 season with the team.

However, Roseman opted to offer a blunt response regarding Brown amid the ongoing trade speculation around the wide receiver.

“I understand that there’s interest in the A.J. Brown story. I, unfortunately, don’t have a home under a rock,” Roseman said. “But my answer to any question on A.J. Brown is A.J. Brown is a member of the Eagles. From my perspective, anything you ask me about A.J. Brown, I’m going to go right back to that answer. But I understand the interest. I put on the TV, and I see that there’s interest, but my answer is A.J. Brown is a member of the Philadelphia Eagles.”

The Eagles acquired Brown via a trade with the Tennessee Titans in the 2022 offseason. He helped Philly reach two Super Bowls, winning one in 2025.

It remains to be seen if Brown will remain with the Eagles next season.

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Howie Roseman’s Eagles will have No. 23 pick in 2026 NFL draft

Howie Roseman’s Philly won the NFC East crown last season. However, the Eagles crashed out of the playoffs with a loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the wild-card round.

Philly has the No. 23 pick in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL draft. Some draft experts have suggested that the Eagles might want to bolster their offensive line with their first selection this year.