Mainoo and Shaw Injury Concerns Plague Manchester United Ahead of Atletico Madrid Clash

Manchester United faces uncertainty regarding the fitness of Kobbie Mainoo and Luke Shaw, both of whom are at risk of missing the team's trip to face Atletico Madrid. The team is scheduled to travel to the Spanish capital on Monday afternoon, with preparations including a morning training session at their Carrington base, a common practice before Champions League fixtures.

Neither Mainoo nor Shaw participated in the morning training session. Both players started in Manchester United's recent draw against Tottenham Hotspur. Club sources indicated that as of mid-morning, a definitive decision on their travel status had not yet been made. If Mainoo is unable to play, Carlos Baleba, a £70 million summer signing, is prepared to make his first start for the club. Mains of England duty during the recent international break due to a combination of injury and the need for workload management. The club is reportedly cautious about overexerting the young midfielder early in his career.

Matthijs de Ligt, who has not played for Manchester United since November 2025, trained with the team but is not expected to feature in the match against Atletico.

The potential absence of Shaw is further compounded by the existing injuries to other left-back options. Dorgu, another left-back alternative, sustained an injury while playing for Denmark during the international break. Noussair Mazraoui, also a left-back option, is sidelined and did not participate in Monday's training. This situation presents a significant challenge for manager Michael Carrick if Shaw cannot travel.

Shaw was previously granted a designated rest day before the FK Sabah game but was not involved in that match as his minutes were managed. With Dalot and Harry Amass being the only other conceivable left-backs available for the Madrid trip, if Shaw fails a late fitness test, the team's options are limited. The emergence of Leny Yoro at right-back, where he performed adequately against Tottenham, could lead to Diogo Dalot being deployed at left-back and Yoro at right-back to face Atletico's attack.