Manchester United are without two key first-team players for the trip to Newcastle but two other stars have recovered from knocks to make the starting line-up
Manchester United are missing Lisandro Martinez and Mason Mount for tonight’s match against Newcastle.
Michael Carrick has been without Martinez since the Everton game due to a minor calf problem sustained in training. Meanwhile, Mount has been sidelined with an injury since the Fulham match and has only played once under Carrick.
There was hope that either or both players could return to the squad for the St James’ Park showdown. However, in a chat with MUTV, Carrick confirmed that neither player would be making the trip to the north east and neither have been named in the matchday squad. “Not particularly, really, no,” was Carrick’s response when asked about any updates on Martinez.
JOIN US ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page
“He won’t be with us. He’s not quite ready for that. We’ve got one or two we’re trying to work to get them back – Mason as well, he’s getting a bit closer, so unfortunately it’s part of the game.
“There’s always going to be people out, there’s always going to be people missing, but we’ll keep working as hard as we can to get them back.”
Both Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw return for this evening’s game. The defenders reported feeling unwell during Sunday’s win over Crystal Palace. and were replaced in the 2-1 win. However, both are named in the starting line-up.
“Yeah, they both weren’t feeling too well at all over the weekend,” Carrick confirmed. “We were happy to get through the game and obviously get a good result.”
The journey to Newcastle will bring Carrick back to a club that holds a special place in his heart. United’s interim head coach is adamant that the Reds will need to be on top form to secure a win.
“It’s nice, yeah. It’s nice. Family have got season tickets, actually, so hopefully they’ll be supporting us, but maybe sitting in their end,” Carrick replied when asked about the significance of returning to the north east.
“Obviously I’ve got great memories. I made my Premier League full debut at Newcastle as a youngster [for West Ham], so it’s funny how things work.
“It’s a really tough place to go but we know that, we fully expect that. We’ve got to be at our best to get what we want from the game.”