Manchester United Injury Update: De Ligt, Mount, and Sesko Ahead of Season Opener

Manchester United head into their final pre-season outing against AC Milan with one eye on the game – and the other on the treatment room.

Michael Carrick’s side open their Premier League campaign at Hull in a week’s time, and the United manager can already see key names in doubt or definitely out. Today’s friendly isn’t just about rhythm. It’s about survival.

Here’s where United stand on the injury front as the clock ticks towards Hull.

Matthijs de Ligt – Back

Matthijs de Ligt hasn’t pulled on a United shirt in a competitive game since November. Back surgery ended his season and turned his summer into a rehab slog.

There is finally some movement. He’s back on the grass and travelled with the squad to their training camp in the Republic of Ireland this week, a small but important step.

What there isn’t yet is a date. No timeline, no pencilled-in fixture. Just the slow build towards full contact and the hope that his next return is the one that sticks.

Possible return date: Unknown

Tom Heaton – Hamstring

Tom Heaton’s setback looked harmless in real time. A tweak against PSG in Gothenburg, a straightforward substitution as Dermot Mee came on, and no real panic on the touchline.

The scan told a different story.

As revealed in Notebook this week, the veteran goalkeeper is now facing at least a few weeks out with a hamstring problem that has turned from nuisance into genuine absence. United expect clarity on the full extent of the damage next weekend, but he’s already been ruled out of the early weeks of the season.

Possible return date: Everton, September 6

Mason Mount – Foot

When Mason Mount limped off less than 20 minutes into the PSG game, the mood around United dipped sharply. A key midfielder, a key night in pre-season, and he was gone before it had really begun.

The immediate fear eased quickly. Mount left the stadium walking freely, no limp, no protective boot. The scare faded. The caution remained.

Since then, he has missed the friendly against Leeds and hasn’t even made the squad to face AC Milan. That absence across United’s final two warm-up games tells its own story: he will not start at Hull. Carrick still hopes to have him on the bench, but his pre-season has been chopped in half.

Possible return date: Hull, August 22

Benjamin Sesko – Shin

Benjamin Sesko’s summer has never really started.

The Slovenian striker has not played a single pre-season minute as he continues to recover from the shin injury he suffered in the win over Liverpool in early May. The internal plan, as outlined in Notebook earlier this summer, was for him to feature in one of the late pre-season fixtures.

That target has been missed. His omission from the squad to face Milan confirms it.

Bryan Mbeumo is now nailed on to lead the line at Hull. Sesko has been out too long to be thrown straight into a Premier League opener, and even a place in the matchday squad looks unlikely. Realistically, Ipswich the following week is emerging as his first genuine shot at involvement.

Possible return date: Ipswich, August 30

Manuel Ugarte – Knee ligament

Manuel Ugarte’s situation is the darkest of the lot.

The midfielder was stretchered off in Uruguay’s World Cup defeat to Spain in June, suffering a serious knee ligament injury in the biggest game of his international career. The emotional weight of that moment was clear in his own words afterwards, as he described “the most serious injury a footballer can face” and vowed to grow stronger from it.

The medical outlook is brutal. This is a long, long road back.

Possible return date: 2027

Karl Darlow – Unknown issue

Karl Darlow has been something of a ghost presence since signing for United. He has been managing a pre-existing issue, staying away from the pre-season friendly squads so far.

The club do not consider the problem to be serious, but until he appears on a team sheet, the question marks stay.

One week out from Hull, Carrick knows the story of United’s start to the season may be written as much in the physio’s room as on the pitch. The final pre-season whistle against Milan can’t come soon enough – but will it bring relief, or add another name to an already uneasy list?