This complicates matters significantly for Michael Carrick, with Lisandro Martinez also facing a ban for his hair pull on Dominic Calvert-Lewin during Monday’s 2-1 defeat to Leeds. The United boss will be forced to reorganise his defensive options ahead of the pivotal fixture at Stamford Bridge.
With just six games remaining in the Premier League season, United will be eager to collect maximum points to secure their European qualification for next season.
United are currently in the running for a Champions League spot, but cannot afford any further setbacks. Here, Express Sport has all the latest news emerging from Old Trafford.
Andoni Iraola’s potential first signings
United have previously been linked with the Spanish boss, with reports indicating the Cherries manager would welcome a move. Should United appoint Iraola, he could entice two current Bournemouth players to follow him to Old Trafford. The Daily Mail claim that Marcos Senesi and Eli Junior Kroupi have both been “considered” by the Manchester club.
Senesi is set to become a free agent in the summer, making his acquisition relatively uncomplicated. Kroupi, however, is just 19 years old and tied to Bournemouth until 2030.
Jadon Sancho has been informed by boss Unai Emery that it is “too soon” to consider a permanent stay at Aston Villa. The on-loan United star has four goal contributions to his name in Birmingham and is currently recovering from a shoulder injury.
But the club are solely focused on matters on the pitch for the time being. “We are focused 100 per cent on our objective, and to speak about the individual futures doesn’t make sense,” Emery said.
Speaking specifically about Sancho, Emery added: “We spoke a lot during the season with him and me, especially about his task with us, how we need his performance and his qualities.
“But now it is about tomorrow. He is coming back (from injury), and he is a fantastic player, and he needs to be consistent.”
Emery commented on Sancho’s absence: “It is a pity that he was injured in the last weeks because he finished before the break, fantastic. Now we are playing matches to check everything and to get our objective collectively. Hopefully, we can get the best of him, and this is our challenge as well.”