Noussair Mazraoui injury adds to Manchester United concerns

Manchester United face another injury concern after Noussair Mazraoui was forced off during Morocco’s 2-0 victory over Lesotho.

The defender left the game in the second half after going down on the pitch, with FRMF Xtra reporting his injury-enforced exit and publishing images of the incident.

Africa Foot also reported Mazraoui’s withdrawal as the main negative from an otherwise comfortable Morocco win. At this stage, however, there is no confirmation of the nature or severity of the problem.

That uncertainty will be a concern for Manchester United, particularly given the number of first-team players already unavailable to Michael Carrick.

Mazraoui’s setback follows an injury scare involving Bruno Fernandes during the international break. The Portugal midfielder is expected to be alright, according to the supplied reports, but United are also dealing with concerns over Benjamin Sesko, who has been reported to face an extended absence with a shin injury.

The source also lists Matthijs de Ligt, Karl Darlow, Kobbie Mainoo, Amad Diallo, Manuel Ugarte, Marcus Rashford, Tom Heaton and Patrick Dorgu among United’s unavailable players.

Adding Mazraoui to that group for any significant period would further restrict Carrick’s options.

There is no indication yet that the Morocco international has suffered a serious injury, and further assessment will be required before United have a clearer picture.

Mazraoui has already experienced several fitness setbacks during his time at Manchester United.

His previous issues include a knock that reportedly kept him out for 40 days and nine matches, while a muscle injury resulted in a 26-day absence and four missed games.

He has also dealt with a foot problem, illness and a shoulder injury.

That history makes his latest withdrawal worth monitoring, although there is currently no evidence that the problem in Morocco is connected to any of those previous injuries.

The immediate priority will be determining the extent of Mazraoui’s injury and whether he requires further medical assessment before returning to Manchester United.

Until Morocco or United provide a diagnosis, it is too early to establish whether he will miss club matches after the international break.

Carrick will also be waiting for greater clarity across the rest of his squad, with Mazraoui’s fitness now another issue to monitor as United prepare for the resumption of domestic action.