Šeško, Mainoo & Mount: Latest Manchester United injury news and return dates ahead of new season

A new Premier League season is almost upon us, but Manchester United face some familiar issues ahead of their first game against newly-promoted Hull City – several of their first-team players are injury doubts ahead of Saturday’s curtain-raiser at the MKM Stadium.

Benjamin Šeško, Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt are among the potential starters who missed the final pre-season match against AC Milan this weekend, while Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martínez are also making their way back from fitness issues – and there’s a potential problem in goal for Michael Carrick to deal with, as well.

With the first kick-off a new campaign fast approaching, we’ve rounded up all of the latest Manchester United injury updates and team news ahead of the match against Hull.

Mainoo & Martínez make progress – but Šeško still a worry for Manchester United

While Saturday’s 4-2 defeat to AC Milan – and former manager Ruben Amorim – may not have represented ideal preparation for the new season, there was some good to come out of it, not least in the return of both Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martínez from recent injuries.

Mainoo and Martínez both played half an hour, which represented Mainoo’s first minutes since a back injury sustained at the very end of England’s World Cup campaign and Martínez’s return to action from a strained quadriceps which he picked up during the final against Spain.

Carrick told the media before the weekend that Mainoo was “in a good place” but has yet to discuss whether he might be ready to start in the new-look midfield against Hull. Both he and Martínez could be eased back into the action with a place on the bench, with neither expected to be up to full speed.

Among the players who failed to make the squad against AC Milan were striker Benjamin Šeško, who hasn’t played since suffering a shin injury in a collision with the advertising hoardings during a game against Liverpool in May, and midfielder Mason Mount, who suffered a knock to his ankle during training earlier in August.

Šeško has returned to training but hopes that the Slovenian might be fit enough to feature against Milan proved to be unfounded. It is unclear whether he might be ready for a place on the bench against Hull, but United seem keen not to rush him back. Mount should be available if required, with Carrick describing the decision to leave him out over the weekend as a “precaution.”

Goalkeeper issue surfaces ahead of Hull showdown

Carrick also has a potential problem between the sticks ahead of Saturday’s early kick-off, with two reserve goalkeepers currently out due to injuries.

New signing Karl Darlow, who is expected to act as back-up to Senne Lammens this season, is still unavailable after undergoing a minor surgical procedure towards the end of the 2025/26 season. The precise nature of the issue remains unreported, meaning that no return date is available as it stands, although he is not expected to be out for a lengthy period.

Veteran Tom Heaton, meanwhile, sustained an injury against PSG in pre-season and is expected to be out for at least three more weeks with a hamstring problem. He could be back in early September. With both Darlow and Heaton out, 18-year-old Fred Heath was on the bench for the game against AC Milan and may be readied for action again this weekend.

Elsewhere, Manchester United fans still face a wait for the return of Matthijs de Ligt, who hasn’t featured since November due to a back injury which required surgery. A September return is the most optimistic outcome, but no return date has been set as yet.

United will also have to make do without Manuel Ugarte, who is expected to miss most of the 2026/27 season with an ACL injury he suffered while on international duty with Uruguay at the World Cup.

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