Just in Friday afternoon: Carrick confirms he’s without star who’s ‘fantastic every time’ he plays vs Palace

Michael Carrick has confirmed he will be without Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt for the visit of Crystal Palace on Sunday.The former is edging closer to his return, having not played since Manchester United’s win over Manchester City on January 17, although he did make the bench for the subsequent clash with Arsenal as an unused substitute.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING NEWS – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYMason Mount sidelined for Palace encounter(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)Back in December, after scoring in a 4-1 win and earning the Man of the Match award against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Mount was singled out by MUTV for his ‘absolutely sensational’ display, with presenter Liam Bradford adding: “Every time he seems to get the nod to start for Manchester United, his pressing, his energy, [and] his intelligence… It’s absolutely fantastic.”United playing only once a week means Michael Carrick hasn’t had to fret too much over the midfielder reaching full fitness, as he has the majority of his first-choice XI available.Centre-backs De Ligt and Martinez both missed out vs Everton(Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)As for De Ligt, he has been unavailable since the end of November due to a back injury.Carrick told reporters at Carrington this afternoon that the Dutch international is ‘definitely improving’, but he is reluctant to try and put a timeframe on when De Ligt is likely to be back in the fold. Player Appearances Starts Injured Mount 17 10 6 De Ligt 13 13 14 *Mount and De Ligt in the Premier League this campaign (Transfermarkt)The manager did not verify whether Lisandro Martinez would be in contention to feature against the Eagles after he missed the trip to Everton with a calf problem. Mason Mount ‘getting closer’ but won’t be available for United vs Crystal Palace this weekend. Matthijs de Ligt ‘definitely improving’ but still too soon to put a timeframe on his return to action. No update on Lisandro Martinez #mufc — Rich Fay (@RichFay) February 27, 2026Reports have suggested the Argentine’s issue was not deemed serious, to the point one outlet even predicted Martinez could make the squad this weekend.Patrick Dorgu is a long-term absentee, who is aiming to play again by mid-April.