Carlos Baleba’s night ended early as Manchester United’s comeback over Roma unfolded without him, and the midfielder’s latest setback now hangs over the club’s schedule. What should have been another step forward in his first months at Old Trafford instead became another interruption in a move that had already been delayed by injury.

Signed from Brighton & Hove Albion in August, Baleba was presented as the final piece in United’s midfield rebuild, the player expected to provide balance. He arrived with a pre-existing ankle problem picked up during Brighton’s preseason preparations, which pushed his debut back until after the September-October international break. Once available, the Cameroon international had begun to settle and show promise in a side that had otherwise struggled.

Tuesday’s match was only his fifth start for the Red Devils, but it ended shortly after half-time when he went down clutching his hamstring. He received treatment on the pitch before being forced to withdraw and hobble off. After the 3-2 win, Michael Carrick confirmed the problem was indeed hamstring-related, though he could offer little immediate clarity.

“We’ll have to assess what that looks like but, initially, it doesn’t look great,” Carrick offered.

Further tests and scans are expected in the coming days, with the club hoping the issue proves to be minor. Even so, the first indication was not encouraging, and the range of possible outcomes for hamstring injuries means the recovery window remains uncertain until the diagnosis is complete.

At this stage, it appears likely Baleba will miss action until after the November international break. United have only one fixture before then, away to Aston Villa on Nov. 8, before the schedule pauses again. Their next match is away to Liverpool on Nov. 22, a game that may come too soon even for a light hamstring problem. International duty with Cameroon also looks unlikely.

Matheus Cunha’s eventful Champions League night against Roma ended with celebration, controversy and a suspension that will not affect Manchester United this weekend.

Cunha was central to the comeback, first by earning the penalty that helped change the game and then by scoring the winner after United had been pushed into a strong late position. Bruno Fernandes had earlier converted a retaken penalty early in the second half, before Cunha levelled after a Leo Balerdi error and then finished clinically at Devis Vásquez’s near post following Shea Lacey’s pass.

The Brazilian’s decisive contribution came with a cost. He collected two yellow cards in the closing stages, leaving him with a one-match ban. Even so, Manchester United can still call on him against Aston Villa on Sunday, because disciplinary suspensions from UEFA competition do not carry into the Premier League.

That means the ban will instead be served later this month, when United meet Sporting CP in Lisbon on Matchday 5 of the league phase, on Nov. 25.

Cunha’s first booking came after his goal, as he took off his shirt and then jumped into the crowd, both of which counted against him. The second arrived after Jesús Gil Manzano, who had awarded United a penalty at the start of the second half, was left with no option but to caution him again for his stoppage-time challenge on Balerdi.

It was a dramatic conclusion to a night that had already swung sharply in United’s favour, with Cunha emerging as the key figure in a revival that may have eased the pressure on Michael Carrick, at least for now.

Real Madrid have reportedly secured a verbal agreement with Manchester United academy forward JJ Gabriel, but the teenager’s exit from Old Trafford is far from straightforward.

Reports say Gabriel’s representatives raised concerns over playing time, with those demands left unanswered by Michael Carrick. That helped spark a sequence of media briefings and talk of an immediate termination of his contract, turning a departure into a complicated dispute.

Once it became clear that one of Europe’s most highly regarded academy players was available, interest quickly followed. Bayern Munich publicly entered the picture, while Paris Saint-Germain reportedly saw an offer turned down. Arsenal and Manchester City were also said to be involved, but Real Madrid now appear to have won the race for his signature.

According to the reports, the Spanish club have reached an agreement with the player and his representatives on terms for a professional deal ahead of a proposed January move, as first reported by Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg and later backed by BBC Sport.

The England U-17 international can move within Europe while still only 16 because of an EU passport linked to Cypriot and Irish relations. Even so, his choice to join Real Madrid rather than a domestic rival is expected to carry both financial and reputational consequences for United, who are reportedly weighing legal action.

Gabriel is still registered with Manchester United despite reportedly walking out and ignoring attempts at contact after scoring a hat trick on his UEFA Youth League debut. His junior agreement, signed when he was 15, remains valid, and the club is believed to be considering “legal action” against any European side that tries to sign him, the Manchester Evening News reports.

There has not yet been any dialogue between United and Real Madrid. FIFA must still approve the move, while the training compensation United may receive is expected to be modest, with figures as low as £100,000 ($135,000) and unlikely to rise beyond £300,000 ($405,000) for the player known as “Kid Messi.”