Manchester United suffer blow ahead of Bournemouth clash

Manchester United’s push for a Champions League place is entering a crucial phase, with every fixture now carrying added weight.

Friday night’s trip to Bournemouth was already shaping up to be a tricky test, with the Cherries fighting for similar ambitions.

Both sides are dealing with key absentees, with as many as seven players expected to miss the clash.

Fitness has become a major talking point in recent weeks, especially with defensive stability constantly being disrupted.

And just days before kickoff, a new concern has emerged from Carrington.

Lisandro Martinez, Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt were all absent from Manchester United training on Wednesday morning, according to journalist Danyal Khan via X.

The update has raised eyebrows, particularly because Noussair Mazraoui had only just returned to the squad picture days earlier.

The Moroccan full-back was initially a doubt after picking up a knock against Newcastle, but he recovered quickly enough to train and even make the bench for the recent win over Aston Villa.

That made his sudden absence from training even more unexpected, with no immediate clarity on whether this is a setback or simply precautionary management ahead of Friday’s game.

Mazraoui has already had a disrupted season, balancing club football with international commitments, including being part of Morocco’s AFCON-winning squad after the tournament’s outcome was overturned following earlier uncertainty.

Martinez, meanwhile, continues to deal with injury frustration, having missed multiple games with a calf problem that was initially expected to keep him out only briefly.

The Argentine has struggled with recurring fitness issues during his time at Old Trafford, and his absence has once again forced changes at the back.

De Ligt’s situation appears more long-term, with the Dutch defender yet to feature in 2026 due to a persistent lower back injury that has proven difficult to fully resolve.

All three missing training at the same time only adds to the uncertainty heading into a match that already looked challenging on paper.

Bournemouth themselves are dealing with injuries, meaning both teams could be without several important players as they battle for European qualification.

For United, the timing is far from ideal, with momentum building in the league and little room for error in the race for a top-four finish.