Man Utd’s fixtures for next season were recently confirmed, and Michael Carrick’s side have been handed a favourable start to the campaign.
The worst was feared when Manuel Ugarte was carried off the pitch on a stretcher during Uruguay’s clash with Spain at the World Cup.
Ugarte looked distraught, pulling his shirt over his head as the stretcher left the pitch. On Sunday, Manchester United confirmed he had suffered a knee ligament injury, and that an assessment of the injury was ongoing.
The club did not confirm whether Ugarte injured his anterior cruciate or medial collateral ligament, but he described his injury as “the most serious injury a footballer can face” on social media, suggesting it is his ACL.
Ugarte wrote: “Suffering the most serious injury a footballer can face in one of the most important matches in my country’s history, and seeing it end this way without being able to stay on the pitch and support my teammates until the final whistle, is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
“Hitting rock bottom will make me stronger in every sense, and I truly believe that’s the case here. Without a doubt, when life wants you to stop, it finds a way to let you know. It’s up to me to take the positives from this. Success in life is about starting again every time you fall.
“I’m incredibly grateful to Uruguay and United for being there for me from the moment it happened. A huge thank you as well to my family, my friends, and everyone who has sent me messages of support during this time.”
A torn ACL is a far more serious injury than an MCL tear. Ugarte could miss around 10 months of action due to the injury, which essentially rules him out for the majority of the 2026/27 season.
The injury is made worse by the crossroads Ugarte had reached. He was counting down the days until the World Cup, relishing the chance to represent Uruguay after receiving limited minutes at United, but a dream opportunity to play on the biggest stage has ended as a nightmare.
Ugarte was pencilled in for an exit from Old Trafford this summer. He needed a fresh start, a clean slate abroad after a difficult spell in England, but the injury denies him the chance to transfer to another club.
The injury could have an impact on United’s transfer plans this summer. The Reds have agreed a deal for Ederson and are pushing to make another midfield signing, but a replacement would also be sought if Ugarte was sold.
United can’t sell Ugarte due to his injury, but they are going to be a body light in midfield with the Uruguayan sidelined, meaning a third signing will still be needed.
At this stage, it looks like Kobbie Mainoo, a new signing, Ederson, Mason Mount, and Tyler Fletcher will be the midfield options, so a further addition makes sense ahead of a 60-game-plus season.
Fletcher’s breakthrough into the first team last season was timely. The talented academy graduate has the quality to contribute to the squad next season, but bringing in another senior midfielder would add much-needed cover.
United could look to sign a cheap third midfielder, someone with Premier League experience who wouldn’t break the bank, perhaps a player entering the winter of their career.
The signing would be a means to an end. They would be near the bottom of the midfield pecking order, but finding a player with that profile, a good character who would be willing to accept that sort of role, isn’t easy.
That’s without mentioning that United have to be careful with their budget in the transfer market. A third midfield signing could be signed as cheaply as possible, but at the end of the day, a permanent deal would still cost a fee.
The Reds may feel they need to focus on other areas of the squad. That could lead club chiefs to consider the loan market for a midfield signing, although players available for loan tend to be available for a reason.
United have done so in the past with mixed success. Odion Ighalo was a reasonable success, Marcel Sabitzer was decent, and the less said about Wout Weghorst’s stint the better. Sofyan Amrabat offered very little aside from a stellar display in the 2024 FA Cup final, while Sergio Reguilon was a pointless signing.
Relying on the loan market is far from ideal, but United might have to consider a temporary signing.
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