Michael Carrick’s revitalized squad faces a selection puzzle ahead of the Sunderland clash as stars recover from a physical battle against Liverpool and key defenders return.
Manchester United's stunning 3-2 Premier League win over Liverpool on Sunday afternoon secured the club's long-awaited return to the Champions League after two seasons.
Despite a poor start to the campaign under former head coach Rúben Amorim, former midfielder Michael Carrick joined in January to replace the Portuguese manager and has secured ten wins in 14 fixtures.
However, the season still has a further three games to play, with United looking to secure wins over Sunderland, Nottingham Forest, and Brighton, which could secure the club third in the league table.
United's win over Liverpool saw the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Šeško unexpectedly substituted, which has led to questions over their fitness. Below is the latest on all United's injury and team news.
Bruno Fernandes
What happened: While the United captain often plays the full length of every game, he was taken off during the dying moments of the tie against Liverpool and replaced by centre-back Leny Yoro.
What was said: "To be honest, it was just there was a minute or so to go and we thought we’d get Leny on the pitch," Carrick confirmed after the game.
"Josh had came on, Pat had came on, Amad had came on as well and there was nothing behind that apart from it."
Expected return date: Saturday, 9 May – Sunderland (A).
Benjamin Šeško
What happened: Having notched United's second of the match against Liverpool, Šeško was unexpectedly withdrawn at half-time, having been thrown into the advertising boards by defender Ibrahima Konaté earlier in the fixture.
What was said: He's been carrying a shin problem for some time, he got pushed and caught the bit that's been causing him some problems," Carrick explained after the game.
Expected return date: Saturday, 9 May – Sunderland (A).
Lisandro Martínez
What happened: Lisandro Martínez has missed United's last three games due to a ban for allegedly pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin's hair during a 2-1 loss against Leeds United last month.
What was said: The FA confirmed at the time that they had rejected United's appeal to overturn the ban, but with the full three games having now been served, the centre-back is available for selection.
Expected return date: Saturday, 9 May – Sunderland (A).
Matthijs de Ligt
What happened: Matthijs de Ligt played every minute of United's first 13 league fixtures of the campaign, but a back problem has kept him out of action since 30 November.
What's been said: "Matta is still a little bit further [off] and not involved in the game," Carrick said on Friday afternoon, prior to the win over Liverpool.
Possible return date: N/A