Manchester United injury crisis deepens as ONE centre-back fit for Chelsea clash after latest blow | OneFootball

Red Devils facing uphill battle at Stamford Bridge with defender set to miss rest of season

The Red Devils face Chelsea on Saturday in a match which carries huge implications in the race to qualify for Europe.

But Michael Carrick must prepare for the match with four of his five first-team centre-backs missing through injury or suspension.

Lisandro Martinez and Harry Maguire are both serving red card suspensions, while Matthijs de Ligt has been sidelined since November with a niggling lower back injury.

Maguire will be available for selection against Brentford next week, but the Chelsea match is only the first of Martinez’s three-match suspension.

Yoro had been expected to start alongside 19-year-old Ayden Heaven at the heart of defence, but the Frenchman has not travelled for the match.

Per reports from The Sun, Yoro did not board the train from Stockport Station to London with his team-mates on Friday after picking up a potentially season-ending injury.

That leaves Heaven, who has made just 14 appearances this season, as the club’s only fit first-team centre-back.

It remains to be seen who Carrick will call upon to face up to the Blues as a makeshift centre-back.

Manuel Ugarte is the leading candidate. He made his first start under Carrick in the defeat by Leeds, and dropped from midfield into the back line after Martinez was sent off for violent conduct early in the second half. The highly experienced Casemiro could also be called upon.

Last man standing: Ayden Heaven

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Heaven is vastly inexperienced and will face a tough test as he looks to mark Chelsea’s physical front line, which features experienced attackers in Joao Pedro and Pedro Neto.

Speaking on Friday, though, Carrick said he has been impressed with the youngster’s performances in training.

“I think Ayden is a good place,” he said. “I know he's in a good place, progressing through the early stages of his career. It's pretty natural to play some games and not others.

“He's training really well, learning and it's pretty natural for a centre-half of his age. He's probably well ahead of schedule, in terms of the games that he has played.

“He's trained well, done well with England a couple of weeks ago, and is looking forward to the game.”