Man United injury news as three set to miss Man City with Noussair Mazraoui boost

Manchester United injury news as Ruben Amorim looks to beat Pep Guardiola for the third time in one year on Sunday

Premier League football is back this weekend, and Manchester United face city rivals Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

After winning one of their first three games of the 2025/26 season, United have had two weeks to prepare for the first Manchester derby of the season. Ruben Amorim's men will be looking to become the third team to defeat City after their losses to Brighton & Hove Albion and Tottenham.

The international break came at the right time for the Reds, with certain players suffering injuries and others returning to full fitness. One player Amorim could turn to from the off at the Etihad Stadium is Noussair Mazraoui.

Under Erik ten Hag and Amorim, Mazraoui was a constant in the United team last term. The defender played 57 times across all competitions before suffering an injury on the final day of the season against Aston Villa.

After returning to action in the 3-2 win over Burnley last time out, Mazraoui is now a serious option for Amorim's backline. In a recent interview with The National, the 27-year-old has opened up about his first season in England and the physical demands of the Premier League.

"On a personal level, my fitness and the amount of games I played, I can look back to a good season," he said. "In fitness, the Premier League is always different than the other competitions.

"No winter break, obviously. The games were following up really fast." He added: "You hope to stay fit and play as much as possible. That hadn't always been the case for me.

"The Premier League is a bigger demand than other competitions, so you must take even more of your body. I had a switch in my mindset - be fit and ready and I think that helped me play so many games."

United come into the derby sweating over the fitness of Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount. Both players came off against Burnley and Amorim admitted he wasn't sure how long they'd be out for.

"It was hard to lose a player like Cunha and Mason Mount - Mount played like 30 minutes with an injury," said the head coach after the win over the Clarets on August 30.

"I don't know [if they are long-term injuries], I don't know, but I'm concerned about that. They are so important for us, so we'll see."

In better news, Lisandro Martinez is edging closer to returning. The 27-year-old Argentina international has been sidelined since February with an ACL injury but is now back on grass at Carrington.

Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.

Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.

You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.

Click here to read article