One Manchester United star has been given an expected return date from injury with the race to be available for a crucial fixture in the race for Champions League football.
Michael Carrick has truly turned things around at Old Trafford as he took over from Ruben Amorim for the remainder of the season in the Premier League.
The 44-year-old is yet to taste defeat since his arrival as his side made it five wins out of six with a tight 1-0 victory over Everton thanks to Benjamin Sesko’s winner in Manchester United’s first ever visit to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Carrick has been reluctant to change his starting 11, only being forced into two changes across the six games due to injury.
However, United have been handed an expected return date for one of their sidelined players with a potential Champions League decider as a target to get back in the squad.
Dorgu given expected return date
Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu was a star of Carrick’s side, scoring against both Manchester City and Arsenal, but a hamstring injury, quickly described as a serious issue, sidelined him for a prolonged period, with initial expectations of a return around the end of March.
However, The Athletic now reports that the Dane’s injury could keep him unavailable until mid-April, as United fans’ hopes for the Champions League take a blow amid a possible setback in his rehabilitation.
Dorgu made the switch from left-back to left-winger, quickly becoming a starter and adding more goal contributions to his game.
The arrival of summer signing Benjamin Šeško called out for United to deliver more crosses, as the Slovenian excels in the air, and Dorgu was an ideal selection to meet this requirement. The pair notably combined in a moment of quality against Burnley as Sesko swept home a Dorgu cross at Turf Moor.
This leaves Matheus Cunha as United’s most natural left-winger, but being right footed, may limit the number of deliveries into the box.
Want to stay as up-to-date as possible on the latest Manchester United updates? Add UtdDistrict as a preferred source on Google for news you can rely on.
Could Dorgu return for a crucial top four fixture?
Dorgu will be eagerly looking at United’s fixture list, as the Red Devils make the trip down to Chelsea on the weekend of Saturday, 18 April, which aligns with the 21-year-old’s expected return date.
Both United and Chelsea are hunting a Champions League finish, and this tie is expected to be a must-win game for both teams, with Liverpool also hot on their heels.
United currently lead the way out of the three with 48 points and 11 games to go. With no other competitions to focus on, United’s full attention is on the League, giving them an advantage there.
Read More: Lisandro Martínez return date set after Manchester United star suffered ‘suspected calf injury’
Meanwhile, United will continue to look to Cunha to hold down the left wing, combining with fellow summer signings as he did against Everton to create chances for United.
Their next fixture sees the Red Devils host Crystal Palace at Old Trafford, where Oliver Glasner’s side will look to turn around their run of poor form.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 14:00 pm (GMT) on the United View YouTube channel.