Man Utd predicted XI vs. Leeds: Four changes with Mainoo & Shaw among doubts

Manchester United will hope to end a five-match winless run on Sunday when they travel to Elland Road to face old rivals Leeds United – but their chances of recording a first victory in over a month have bee hit by a multitude of injury problems.

Kobbie Mainoo and Luke Shaw have both become doubts for the game after missing the midweek Champions League defeat to Atlético Madrid, while there are still concerns over the availability of players such as striker Benjamin Šeško and full-back Nouassir Mazraoui. In total, no fewer than seven first-team players could miss out.

With kick-off fast approaching, we’ve collected all of the latest Manchester United team news and injury updates below, along with our prediction for Michael Carrick’s likely starting line-up.

Will Kobbie Mainoo & Luke Shaw start against Leeds?

The absence of both Mainoo and Shaw from Manchester United’s midweek squad came as an unpleasant surprise, with head coach Carrick revealing ahead of the game against Atlético Madrid that the pair had both picked up knocks during the 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur last Saturday.

Mainoo, who withdrew from England’s recent international squad due to fitness concerns, played the full 90 minutes against Spurs while Shaw came off as a substitute late on at Old Trafford. The pair then both missed training on Monday ahead of their game in Madrid.

The details of the injuries they picked up have not been made public, but neither issue is believed to be serious despite the fact that neither Mainoo nor Shaw travelled to Spain for Tuesday’s match.

Nevertheless, both remain doubts ahead of the game against Leeds. The potential absence of Shaw presents a particular issue because of a lack of options at full-back – Patrick Dorgu is expected to be out for over a month with a hamstring injury, while Nouassir Mazraoui remains a doubt after sustaining an injury while on international duty.

Mazraoui is believed to be dealing with a lower back issue and was described as being “not quite right” by Carrick last week. He is expected to push to make his comeback in time to face Leeds, however.

Šeško latest as injuries mount - and will Lisandro Martínez play for Manchester United?

Manchester United supporters also face an anxious wait for an update on Slovenian striker Šeško, who suffered a shin injury before the international break.

Carrick told the media before last weekend that Šeško was not dealing with a recurrence of a similar injury which he sustained in the spring against Liverpool following a collision with the advertising hoardings, but there is still concern that his latest setback could lead to a similarly lengthy lay-off.

Manchester Evening News reporter Tyrone Marshall claims that surgery has not been ruled out as an option, but a final decision does not yet appear to have been reached on how best to handle Šeško’s recovery. As such, his return date remains uncertain, but he is not expected to be available to face Leeds this weekend. Šeško and Dorgu will be joined on the sidelines by fellow long-term injury victims Manuel Ugarte (ACL) and Tom Heaton (hamstring).

There is also speculation that centre-back Lisandro Martínez might be excluded from the starting line-up after his outburst in the wake of the midweek defeat to Atlético Madrid.

The Argentine was fined by the club for his verbal attack on the ownership and the investment made in the squad, and has since apologised.

"The frustration of the defeat led me to express how I felt at a time and place that perhaps were not the right ones, and for that I want to apologise,” Martínez said in a statement. There is no suggestion that the club has suspended him or intends to drop him as a further punishment, but it would be unsurprising if he started on the bench following the controversy.

Manchester United predicted line-up vs. Leeds (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Heaven, Mazraoui; Mainoo, Baleba; Rashford, Fernandes, Mbeumo; Cunha.