Man Utd will have one player back against Fulham but Michael Carrick has been dealt a new blow with the loss of Patrick Dorgu.
Michael Carrick has told Manchester United it would be “bang out of order” to show any complacency against Fulham on the back of two stunning wins in his first games in charge.
Carrick has guided United to victories against Manchester City and Arsenal, beating the Premier League’s top two in successive games to move up to fourth in the table, but the challenge this weekend will be very different.
United have produced perfect game plans to take on City and Arsenal but they will be expected to dominate against the Cottagers at Old Trafford and beating sides below them in the league at home has been a challenge at times this season.
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They will also be without Patrick Dorgu, who has picked up a hamstring injury, although Joshua Zirkzee could be fit enough to return to the squad after he was back in training this week.
Victory will hand Carrick three wins in a row and match Ruben Amorim’s longest winning streak in charge and he isn’t worried about the prospect of needing a different approach this weekend.
“I don’t think we need to make too much of it, we are where we are and the feeling around the squad and the results we have had, the performances we have had and going into the next game, I don’t think the past is too relevant in that respect,” he said.
“We understand it and what has worked before and what hasn’t, but really I think the boys are in a good place going into the game. Tough game, tough challenge, I think Marco has got Fulham into a really good team.
“All of a sudden it is a different game, it’s Fulham, just because we are at home, taking anything for granted is bang out of order so it might be a case it’s the same flow of the game as the last two weeks. No shame in that, we will deal with the game in front of us and do whatever it takes to come out on top.”
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The loss of Dorgu for at least a couple of months is a blow to United, with the wide man showing form in the last couple of weeks, but Carrick will be able to welcome Zirkzee back for the first time since he took over.
“Josh is back training this week, which is good news, so he’s been out for a short amount of time, but first kind of training with us since we’ve been here, so that’s great to have Josh back,” he said.
“Pat, unfortunately, he’s gonna be out for a period of time. We’re still working through how long that’s going to be, so we’ll have to see. He’s disappointed, he’s had such a big couple of weeks.
“We weren’t sure whether it was a little bit of cramp or something a little bit more serious and at the moment it looks a little bit more on the serious note so it’ll be a few weeks for that, how many weeks we’ll have to wait and see.
“That’s disappointing for all of us, really. Pat was in such a good place, but unfortunately, it’s football, and it’s something we’ve got to work through and get him back as soon as we can.”
Matthijs de Ligt will again be absent as he continues to recover from a back injury that has kept him sidelined for two months.
