Manchester United have another problem, and Michael Carrick can do without it. Noussair Mazraoui picked up an injury while on international duty with Morocco, adding one more name to a squad already stretched by fitness issues.
For a side already battling poor form and mounting pressure, this is the sort of development that turns inconvenience into a genuine squad issue. United are waiting to discover how serious the problem is, but the early signs were not encouraging.
Mazraoui started at left-back for Morocco in their 2-0 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win over Lesotho in South Africa . He lasted 69 minutes before being forced off after hurting himself in a challenge near the touchline with Lesotho's Neo Mokhachane.
There was little ambiguity in the reaction. Mazraoui stayed down, appeared to be in significant pain and immediately signalled that he had a problem. Morocco medical staff came on, team-mates urged the bench to make the change, and Achraf Hakimi replaced him.
United later confirmed the situation in a statement: "Noussair Mazraoui was substituted with an apparent injury during Morocco's 2-0 win over Lesotho.
"The Manchester United man had performed excellently in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, with Sport Le 360 providing a detailed assessment on his display.
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"'Another great match,' they wrote. 'Solid in duels, tidy in distribution and as valuable as ever in his anticipation. He also contributed significantly by drifting inside to create numerical superiority in midfield and aid the build-up play.
"'A complete performance before he left the pitch due to injury'.
"Morocco are top of Group A, with Brahim Diaz and Azzedine Ounahi the goalscorers against Lesotho. Mazraoui went off in the 69th minute, with Achraf Hakimi taking his place."
This is not an isolated issue. Bruno Fernandes missed Portugal 's Nations League win over Norway because of a problem that has been troubling him for several weeks. Patrick Dorgu then limped out of Denmark 's win against Wales with a hamstring injury and returned to Old Trafford early.
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Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo both withdrew from England duty. Karl Darlow did the same with Wales. Benjamin Sesko , Amad Diallo , Matthijs de Ligt , Manuel Ugarte and Tom Heaton were already unavailable before Mazraoui's setback.
That volume matters. Injuries can be managed in small numbers. When they pile up across different positions, they start dictating selection, shape and minutes. Carrick now has to wait on another assessment and hope this one is minor.
Mazraoui also played 84 minutes against Gabon last week, so there has already been a notable workload during this break. It remains unclear whether he will stay with Morocco for the friendly against Mali in Tangier on Sunday or return to Manchester immediately for treatment.
Morocco were initially scheduled to face Ghana , but that fixture was cancelled. For United, the main concern is simpler. They need certainty, and quickly. Right now, all they have is another injury scare, another player in the treatment queue, and another unwanted complication before club football resumes.
