Gary Neville has warned Manchester United that they could suffer a serious drop-off in form and morale if any injury crisis hits this season.
It comes after INEOS opted against reinforcing Michael Carrick’s backline with any defensive additions in the transfer window.
United’s summer window: Carrick would be right to feel aggrieved
Indeed, the only senior additions to Carrick’s squad were midfielders Andrey Santos, Carlos Baleba and Youri Tielemans, as well as free agent goalkeeper Karl Darlow.
While that kind of window might have sufficed this time last year, when United were preparing for a quieter campaign with no European football to account for, it won’t cut it this time around.
In just over a week’s time, the Red Devils will be kicking off their Champions League journey in a league phase that’ll see them come up against the likes of Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, RB Leipzig and Sporting Lisbon, and just one injury to an integral player could derail Carrick’s entire system.
League phase games for Manchester United 🔴#UCLdraw pic.twitter.com/hw9sI5EuHO
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 27, 2026
One signing that fans had been crying out for from day one of the window was a left-back, with Luke Shaw the only senior, out-and-out member of the squad who boasts years of experience in the role.
United did eventually U-turn on their decision to sell Harry Amass, 19, permanently, and instead opted to keep hold of him, so supporters can perhaps expect to see more of the teenager as the term progresses.
What did Neville have to say?
Weighing in on his former club’s lack of action on the market this summer, Neville said over the weekend: “I do feel that when you go into the Champions League, and you’ve got an uncertain defence in the sense that a couple of them are injury-prone and they’re likely to get injured… [it’s a worry].
“For the top clubs that are playing in the Champions League, you’ve got to imagine: what happens if Luke Shaw gets injured? That’s going to cause a real problem.
"I think they've left themselves short"
Should Manchester United have strengthened the squad more this transfer window? pic.twitter.com/DrMicvvckU
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 1, 2026
“What happens if Harry Maguire gets injured? You’ve got a real problem. So I always imagine: just take your two most dominant defenders out for two months simultaneously, which can happen, and you’re playing Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday, you’re going to concede goals, and you’re going to lose football matches.”
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