Manchester United sweating on fitness of Manuel Ugarte ahead of Brentford tie
Ugarte appeared to suffer an injury during Uruguay's goalless draw against Ecuador
Manchester United are anxiously monitoring the fitness of midfielder Manuel Ugarte, who appeared to suffer an injury during Uruguay’s goalless draw against Ecuador.
Manuel Ugarte left the pitch in the 82nd minute, accompanied by a member of Uruguay’s medical staff.
The £42million summer signing is expected to fly back to Manchester today and will likely return to Carrington on Thursday.
He was the last player to return from international duty during the September break.
The sight of the 23-year-old limping off the pitch in Montevideo adds to Erik ten Hag’s fitness concerns as he prepares for Saturday’s domestic clash against Brentford.
Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho also withdrew from international duty due to minor issues, though both featured in the goalless draw with Aston Villa before the break.
Meanwhile, Amad returned to Manchester after pulling out of the Ivory Coast squad due to illness.
Ten Hag will face the media later this week for his pre-Brentford press conference, where he is expected to provide updates on Ugarte, Mainoo, Garnacho, and Amad.
The injury problems that plagued the team last season seem to be resurfacing, with left-backs Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw still unavailable.
Additionally, Harry Maguire is sidelined due to a foot injury sustained against Villa, joining Leny Yoro as unavailable centre-backs.
Noussair Mazraoui will also miss a couple of weeks after undergoing a corrective procedure last week to address heart palpitations.
While Maguire has confirmed his absence for several weeks, Ten Hag could provide updates on Malacia, Shaw, and Yoro during his press conference, as all three edge closer to a return to training.
Mason Mount is the closest to making a comeback, and there may be positive news regarding his availability.
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