Manchester United and Bournemouth could be without as many as nine players collectively for this weekend's Premier League match at Old Trafford, with Michael Carrick's side languishing in 13th place

Manchester United and Bournemouth could be missing up to nine players between them for this weekend's Premier League fixture. The pressure on Michael Carrick to produce results has never been greater, as he approaches Sunday's clash at Old Trafford without a victory in his side's last seven matches across all competitions.

A 4-1 defeat to Como in the Champions League on Wednesday night should serve as a stark warning for the manager, given how Cesc Fabregas' team dominated proceedings throughout. The Reds sit in 13th place in the Premier League table going into Sunday's 2pm kick-off, having secured just one win from their opening seven fixtures.

Marco Rose's Cherries have endured similar difficulties in 2026/27, sitting a point and two positions below United in the English top flight, also with just one victory from the same number of matches. That said, following a 3-0 triumph over AC Milan on Thursday night in the Europa League, morale will probably be sky-high.

The encounter is set to be more challenging given that several crucial players will be absent from Carrick's first-team squad, as injuries begin to mount early in the season. While Carrick mentioned earlier in the week that he would provide an update on Benjamin Sesko, an impassioned opening statement at Friday's press conference bypassed the usual injury update.

The Slovenian striker is presently sidelined with a shin injury, and it's unclear when he'll make his comeback. Kobbie Mainoo will also be absent from this weekend's match due to a muscular problem, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Carrick revealed earlier this week that he could be out for up to 10 days, suggesting he's likely to return for the Chelsea match in a week's time. Luke Shaw is anticipated to be unavailable for longer than Mainoo, with the full-back not expected to return until early November due to an undisclosed injury.

Patrick Dorgu is also ruled out following a thigh injury sustained during the recent international break, while Manuel Ugarte isn't expected to resume playing until 2027 after suffering an ACL injury at the World Cup while representing Uruguay.

On a brighter note, United should also see several players return for this weekend's home fixture. Lisandro Martinez didn't travel for the Como match but may be fully fit to face Bournemouth, while Marcus Rashford could also return following a hip knock.

Ayden Heaven has been absent from the last two fixtures due to illness, but Carrick has confirmed to MUTV that the youngster has now rejoined the first-team squad after making a full recovery. United aren't the only club dealing with injury concerns, though.

Alex Toth is set to be sidelined for a fortnight with a hamstring problem, while Alex Scott remains on the road to recovery from a thigh complaint - with a return anticipated next month. Julian Araujo faces a similar situation, with no definitive comeback date established as yet.

Veljko Milosavljevic is also predicted to regain fitness in November, though he won't be available for this weekend's clash against United. Meanwhile, Eli Junior Kroupi is likely to be named amongst the substitutes, but won't be in the starting line-up at the Theatre of Dreams.

Full list of players set to miss the game

Man Utd

- Benjamin Sesko

- Kobbie Mainoo

- Luke Shaw

- Patrick Dorgu

- Manuel Ugarte

Bournemouth

- Alex Toth

- Alex Scott

- Julian Araujo

- Veljko Milosavljevic