Man Utd v Leeds team news: Martinez return boosts Carrick as rivals arrive with injury crisis

Manchester United return to Premier League action on Monday evening when they host Leeds United at Old Trafford in one of football's fiercest rivalries.

It is the final fixture of Premier League matchweek 32, and with United pushing hard for Champions League qualification while Leeds are fighting to avoid relegation.

It will be 24 days since United last played — the 2-2 draw at Bournemouth on March 20 — and Michael Carrick has used the extended break wisely, taking his squad to Dublin for a four-day training camp designed to sharpen the group and integrate returning players.

The news coming out of Ireland is largely positive, though there are still injury concerns on both sides to navigate.

The headline team news for United is the absence of Harry Maguire through suspension.

The centre-back, who this week signed a new one-year contract extension keeping him at Old Trafford until at least June 2027, received a red card at Bournemouth and will sit out Monday's clash with the club he grew up supporting from across the Pennines.

The good news is that Lisandro Martinez has rejoined the squad in Dublin after missing the last five matches with a calf injury. The Argentine, nicknamed "The Butcher" by United fans, has been a important absence during his spell on the sidelines — he has made only 15 appearances across all competitions this season having been out until late November initially following knee surgery.

Martinez is not yet confirmed as fit to start but his presence in Dublin is an encouraging sign. Carrick was clear about the importance of his return.

"To have Licha in and around it again is good. Obviously, Harry's going to miss the game so we've got Licha back around it, with Leny [Yoro] and Ayden [Heaven], and we just want to get stronger as a group really," said Carrick.

If Martinez is not ready to start, teenager Ayden Heaven — who impressed when introduced after Maguire's dismissal at Bournemouth — would likely partner Yoro at centre-back. Either way United have options and genuine quality in that position, which is a far cry from the defensive crisis that greeted Carrick when he took over in January.

One of the more encouraging stories from the Dublin camp is the fitness of Mason Mount. The midfielder made his first appearance since the Manchester derby in mid-January when he came off the bench in the 89th minute at Bournemouth — barely enough time to break sweat.

But Carrick confirmed he has used the international break to properly rebuild his fitness saying: "Mason's in and around it as well, in training and he's had that period of time to build that up," the United manager said.

Whether Mount starts or comes from the bench again against Leeds, his availability gives Carrick another option in the middle of the park at a crucial stage of the season.

There is one unwelcome injury update however — Diogo Dalot did not travel to Dublin with the squad due to illness. The Portuguese full-back has been one of United's more consistent performers this season and his availability for Monday will need to be monitored over the coming days.

Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko both withdrew from international duty with Cameroon and Slovenia respectively during the break but travelled to Dublin with the United squad and are expected to be available on Monday. Their returns are significant — Mbeumo has scored six times in 19 appearances this season while Sesko has been in outstanding form, and the two have formed a productive partnership in attack under Carrick.

Patrick Dorgu has now missed eight consecutive matches with a thigh injury and did not travel to Dublin as part of the training group. Carrick is not expected to rush the Denmark international back and a late April or early May return looks more realistic.

Matthijs de Ligt remains the other long-term absentee — the Dutch centre-back has not featured since November because of a persistent back problem and no timescale has been given for his return.

The broader context for this fixture from United's perspective is a remarkably strong recent record against their Yorkshire rivals. United have not lost to Leeds in any competition since a shock FA Cup third-round defeat in January 2010 — a run of eight games unbeaten. The most recent meeting was a 1-1 draw at Elland Road earlier this season, when Brenden Aaronson put Leeds ahead before Joshua Zirkzee teed up Matheus Cunha for the equaliser.

With seven games remaining United sit third in the Premier League on 55 points with a goal difference of plus 13. Crucially, Arsenal's 1-0 Champions League quarter-final win over Sporting CP in midweek means the Premier League has now been guaranteed five places in next season's Champions League — meaning United need only hold their current position to secure European football. They are seven points clear of Chelsea in sixth and the mathematics are firmly in their favour.

Carrick has won six of his nine league games since taking charge. The transformation in results, performances and atmosphere around the club has been remarkable, and the Dublin camp has been another demonstration of his meticulous approach to preparation. "The break has actually worked in our favour in some ways in terms of getting players back," he said.

While United prepare in the sunshine of Dublin, Leeds arrive at Old Trafford in crisis. Daniel Farke has confirmed that three players are definitely out for Monday's match — Anton Stach, Joe Rodon and Daniel James — with a further handful of doubts creating a desperate injury picture at the worst possible time.

Stach, one of Leeds' most important midfielders with four goals and three assists in 25 Premier League starts this season, suffered what appears to be an ankle ligament injury after a horror tackle from West Ham's Max Kilman during the FA Cup quarter-final. He is expected to miss the rest of April at minimum. Rodon rolled his ankle in the same match and is also ruled out, depriving Farke of his first-choice centre-back. James was already sidelined before the West Ham game with an adductor strain.

On top of those three confirmed absences, Jaka Bijol is struggling with a knock, Noah Okafor has back problems, Gabriel Gudmundsson is carrying a groin issue and Sebastiaan Bornauw has an adductor concern — all listed as doubts. It is an injury list that would test any manager and Farke will need to shuffle his pack significantly to field a competitive side at Old Trafford.

Leeds sit in 15th place with 33 points, four clear of the relegation zone with seven games remaining. They have not won in the league for two months and have failed to score in their previous four Premier League matches. While the FA Cup run to the semi-finals — where they will face Chelsea at Wembley — has provided a welcome boost to morale, Farke knows that survival is the absolute priority and points on Monday are desperately needed.

Predicted United XI: Lammens; Mazraoui, Martinez, Yoro, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Amad, Fernandes, Cunha; Mbeumo