Manchester United have confirmed their 23-man squad for the remainder of the Premier League season, and even included a surprise inclusion who was expected to depart in January.
2026 got off to a whirlwind start for Manchester United as they parted ways with their former manager, Ruben Amorim, which heavily altered any potential plans for the January transfer window.
Due to being excluded from Amorim’s starting XI, it was being heavily reported that the likes of Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo could depart from Old Trafford, although, since the arrival of Michael Carrick, both have stayed put.
In the end, there was little to no movement for the Red Devils in the winter transfer period, aside from a plethora of loan deals for some of their young talents.
One player who was expected to depart the club during the January window was Tyrell Malacia, although, following news of a Patrick Dorgu injury, the Dutchman has made a surprise feature in the club’s 23-man squad.
United’s 23-man Premier League squad
Malacia seemed fairly eager to depart from the Reds on deadline day, although United ultimately pulled the plug on his potential move to Turkey at the final moments.
Despite the fact that Dorgu has been utilised as a winger under Carrick, his injury has left the Reds thin for cover at left-back, meaning that Malacia has stayed put as a back-up to Luke Shaw.
This has meant that United’s 23-man squad has remained unchanged for the remainder of the Premier League campaign, as stated by Manchester Evening News.
Academy stars such as Shea Lacey and Jack Fletcher, who have both made top-flight appearances this season, have not been listed due to the fact that U21 players do not need to be registered.
Will stability warrant success for Carrick?
For many years now at Old Trafford, there has been a constant carousel of players being transferred in and out of the squad, with there never really being much stability.
This constant chopping and changing has ultimately taken the Reds nowhere in recent years, and it feels as if they may finally be far closer to having a settled squad that they can rely on.
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This is something that could heavily benefit the Reds in the long haul if they are to start challenging for titles again, as a common trend with recent Premier League champions is that they have a settled core of talent to rely on.
With three wins out of three already under Carrick’s belt, hopefully, a six-month stretch with little drama could help to propel the Reds further into the top four.
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