Manuel Ugarte was stretchered off the pitch during Uruguay’s final World Cup group-stage match against Spain overnight.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat to make Uruguay winless in all three games, confirming they would be exiting the tournament.
What happened to Manuel Ugarte?
In the closing stages of the first half, Ugarte lunged into a challenge before landing awkwardly on his right leg and dropping to the floor in pain, spelling the end of his involvement in gutting fashion.
With it being a non-contact injury that prompted such significant intervention from the medical staff, United will be fearing the worst over his condition.
Manchester United's Manuel Ugarte was taken off on a stretcher during the first half of Uruguay's World Cup game against Spain 🤕 pic.twitter.com/OIXmWAaeX2
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 27, 2026
Fabrizio Romano added on YouTube that it sadly ‘doesn’t look good at all’ for the midfielder.
He now faces an anxious wait while tests are run in order to determine the severity. Hopefully, things aren’t as bad as they appear.
What it means for United
Regarding what it means for the club, they may need to sign a replacement for Ugarte, who was expected to be sold in the coming months.
He had fallen entirely out of favour at Old Trafford and was deemed surplus to requirements by INEOS in the lead-up to the transfer window.
United’s addition of another midfield signing after Ederson and, perhaps, Mateus Fernandes, also hinged on Ugarte being offloaded.
The 25-year-old is tied to the club until June 2029, having signed a five-year deal when he joined from Paris Saint-Germain almost two years ago.
Last season, he was utilised sparingly, particularly after Michael Carrick took charge and restored Kobbie Mainoo to a starting role alongside the now-released Casemiro.
| Appearances | Starts | Unused | Minutes played |
| 7 | 1 | 9 | 155 |
Ugarte’s league record under Carrick
In the meantime, Matthijs de Ligt has spent the summer recovering from the back injury that kept him out of action from November 2025 until the end of the term.
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