Manchester United's Crucial Clash at Craven Cottage: Team Changes Ahead
Manchester United head to Craven Cottage on Sunday with more questions than answers and a season already edging towards a crossroads.
Back-to-back blows – a bruising Manchester derby defeat and an EFL Cup exit to Brighton & Hove Albion inside four days – have left Michael Carrick’s side marooned in mid-table and under pressure to respond. One win from four Premier League games has them 13th, and the mood around the club reflects it.
Carrick is expected to rip up Wednesday night’s team sheet. The cup side crumbled; the league XI will look far more familiar.
Carrick turns back to his big guns
The reset starts at the back. Senne Lammens is in line to take the gloves, with Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez ready to return at the heart of defence. Luke Shaw, who missed the defeats to Brighton and Manchester City with a minor muscular issue, is on course to reclaim his place at left-back, pushing Noussair Mazraoui out of the firing line. Diogo Dalot should keep his spot on the right.
In midfield, Kobbie Mainoo is expected to step in for Andrey Santos, adding control and composure alongside Youri Tielemans. It’s a pairing built to keep the ball and calm the chaos that has crept into United’s recent performances.
The attack, though, is where the decisions bite hardest.
Marcus Rashford’s place is under real threat. Bruno Fernandes is set to return to his central creative role, with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo likely to operate off the flanks or between the lines. That trio would work behind Benjamin Sesko, who is pushing for his first Premier League start of the season and offers a different focal point up front – height, movement, and a willingness to run channels.
If Carrick follows through, it’s a statement: reputations no longer shield anyone.
Injury list shapes United options
The manager’s hand is partly forced. Carlos Baleba remains out with an ankle injury, joining longer-term absentees Manuel Ugarte (knee), Tom Heaton and Amad Diallo. Diallo has yet to feature this season after damaging his ankle in pre-season.
There is some light with Matthijs de Ligt. The defender has stepped up his recovery from back surgery and is back in individual training, but he has not yet rejoined full sessions and will not be rushed.
So the spine for Sunday is clear enough, even if the form is not.
Predicted Manchester United XI vs Fulham
Carrick is expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1:
Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Mainoo, Tielemans; Mbeumo, Fernandes, Cunha; Sesko.
It is a side that blends seniority with fresh legs, and one that leaves little room for excuses.
Kick-off and TV details
Fulham vs Manchester United kicks off at 16:30 on Sunday, 20 September 2026, in the Premier League.
The game will be shown live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event.
United arrive in west London wounded, reshuffled, and under scrutiny. What they produce at Craven Cottage will say plenty about where this season is really heading.
