Manuel Ugarte is set to make his Manchester United debut this Saturday at Southampton, fresh from international duty with Uruguay.
Ugarte, who joined the Red Devils from Paris Saint-Germain for a hefty £50.5 million on transfer deadline day, barely had a chance to get acquainted with his new teammates before heading off to join Uruguay for World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Venezuela.
International Duty and Health Concerns
The 23-year-old midfielder participated in both matches, only missing 11 minutes of play. However, he did express feeling unwell during his travels. After returning to Carrington on Thursday, Ugarte is expected to be part of the squad for the game at St Mary’s.
Managerial Decisions and Team Dynamics
It’s unclear whether manager Erik ten Hag will start Ugarte, given his recent long-haul travel and limited time for training with the team. Despite Casemiro’s two costly errors in United’s previous defeat to Liverpool, he might retain his spot in the lineup.
Injury Updates
Ten Hag confirmed Ugarte’s readiness and also provided updates on Rasmus Hojlund and Luke Shaw, both of whom have been sidelined with hamstring injuries. While they are making positive strides in their recovery, they won’t be available for this match.
Ten Hag noted, “Manuel Ugarte played for Uruguay and returned this afternoon. He was the only player who came back today; the rest came back yesterday, so he is available for this game. Rasmus Hojlund and Luke Shaw are progressing well but are not ready for this game.”