Carrick Considers Dorgu as New Signing for Left-Back Position
Michael Carrick has hinted Patrick Dorgu could be pushed back into defence to solve Manchester United’s growing left-back headache, describing the 21-year-old as “almost like a new signing” after his return from injury.
United emerged from the transfer window without securing extra cover at left-back, having failed in late attempts to land Alejandro Balde and Rayan Ait-Nouri. The deadline passed, the squad list was set, and Carrick was left with one specialist in the role: Luke Shaw.
That reality has thrust Dorgu into sharper focus.
The Denmark international has been used exclusively in attacking roles by Carrick so far, starting four times under the United boss and impressing as a left-winger. He began this season on the flank at Hull City on the opening day before dropping to the bench for the win over Ipswich.
His profile, though, is far more flexible than that.
Dorgu operated as a wing-back under Ruben Amorim and, crucially, was playing as a conventional left-back for Lecce when United moved to bring him in from Serie A for £25million in January 2025. That experience suddenly looks invaluable.
“He can certainly play there. He has done, without doubt,” Carrick said when asked if Dorgu could be used at left-back. “I’m not sitting here saying he can’t do that. It’s just the way we’ve been since I’ve been here.”
The bigger issue has been availability. A hamstring injury wiped out a large chunk of last season and stalled his adaptation just as he was trying to establish himself. For Carrick, that lay-off makes Dorgu’s current involvement feel fresh.
“He actually has been injured, unfortunately, for some time,” Carrick explained. “You could almost argue that he played three or four times for us last season, so for me, he’s almost like a new player, you know, to have, and it’s almost like a new signing in some ways because he’s added so much to the group.”
The numbers in wide areas underline the dilemma. United are well stocked in attacking positions out wide, but at full-back the options thin out quickly. Behind Shaw, Carrick is looking at makeshift solutions: Dorgu, Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot all potential stop-gaps rather than natural fits.
What Dorgu offers is versatility with end product. He has shone on the left for United and has already shown his threat on the opposite flank for his country, scoring a standout goal from the right wing for Denmark during the June internationals.
“He’s played off the right for Denmark, scored a great goal in the summer playing off the right in a forward position,” Carrick said. “He can play left-back. He’s that type where he can do a number of things. I’m certainly not saying he can’t do that at all.”
The coaching staff have already experimented in private. Dorgu has dropped into the back line during training sessions, giving Carrick a glimpse of how the team might look with him deeper, driving from defence rather than hugging the touchline in the final third.
“It’s something he can, we just haven’t had to explore that,” Carrick added. “At some point, we might have to, at some point he might do that. He can do that, absolutely no problem. There are times in training when he does it.
“And then he’s only young, being such a young age and having the attributes that he’s got, we’ve just got to keep trying to get the most out of him.”
The window is shut. The squad is set. If injuries bite or Shaw’s minutes need careful management, Carrick’s “new signing” might soon find himself back where United first spotted him – patrolling the left touchline, only this time with the No.3 zone on his back rather than the winger’s lane.
