Five Manchester United players likely to miss Premier League opener at Hull City
Five Manchester United players are expected to be unavailable for the club’s Premier League season opener away to newly promoted Hull City on Saturday, August 22, 2026, after a series of injuries and ongoing recoveries. Manager Michael Carrick faces selection issues as several squad members continue to miss training or recover from operations ahead of the match.
Hull return to the top flight after a nine-year absence, and Carrick has said he wants to improve on United’s performance from last term while contending with a depleted roster. The club confirmed multiple players remain sidelined following preseason problems and longer-term injuries, leaving doubt over their involvement in the opening fixture. The list of likely absentees includes both recent signings and established squad members.
New signing Karl Darlow is set to miss the opener as he works back to full fitness following a medical operation performed at the conclusion of last season; he has not yet played a competitive game for Manchester United. The goalkeeper’s recovery timetable rules him out of immediate selection for the trip to Hull City and keeps him a question mark for early-season availability.
Tom Heaton will be unavailable for Manchester United’s match against Hull City on August 22, 2026, after sustaining a hamstring injury during preseason. Heaton is currently inactive with no comeback date set, removing him from contention for the club’s opening league fixture.
Midfielder Manuel Ugarte is also out after suffering a major knee ligament injury while competing for Uruguay at the FIFA World Cup 2026; he has had successful surgery. United expect Ugarte to require a lengthy recovery period, which will keep him sidelined for an extended spell and unavailable for the season opener.
Mason Mount has missed the club’s last two preseason matches and looks likely to miss the Hull game after being struck on the foot early in the friendly against PSG in Gothenburg on August 8 and being forced off; he has not trained since. Mount had been influential in United’s early preseason fixtures and formed a promising connection with recent signing Andrey Santos before the injury, leaving his availability uncertain for the opening matches.
Benjamin Sesko, who joined from RB Leipzig last summer and scored 12 goals for Manchester United in his debut campaign, has a slim chance of featuring after resuming team training this week following a shin injury sustained last season against Liverpool. It remains unclear whether Sesko will be included in the travelling squad for Saturday’s fixture at Hull City.
Manchester United head to Hull on Saturday, August 22, 2026, with a number of key players sidelined or doubtful, leaving Carrick to finalise his squad amid ongoing fitness checks ahead of the Premier League opener.
