Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has confirmed that Lisandro Martínez will not be available for Saturday night’s Premier League trip to Chelsea after the Argentine’s recent sending off.

The dismissal came in United’s home match in which Noah Okafor scored twice to put Leeds 2–0 ahead. Martínez was shown a red card following VAR intervention when a subtle hair pull on Dominic Calvert-Lewin was judged violent conduct by the officials. Leeds held on to win 2–1, their first league victory at Old Trafford in 45 years. It was United’s first home defeat of the Carrick era.

The nature of the sending off carries a three-game suspension, which rules Martínez out of the fixtures against Chelsea, Brentford and Liverpool.

After the match Carrick described Paul Tierney’s decision as “one of the worst I’ve seen, ” and there was expectation United might appeal. In his Friday press conference ahead of the Chelsea game Carrick confirmed Martínez will not be available, while offering limited detail on any disciplinary process. “We didn’t agree with it, it’s obvious how I felt after the game, and I still feel that way now. I don’t want to go into it now, it is what it is. We have to accept it and move on,” he told reporters.

Carrick did not explicitly state whether the club had lodged an appeal to the FA, and his comments suggest any attempt to overturn the suspension was unsuccessful.

The suspension arrives at an awkward point for United as they pursue a top-five finish. With five games remaining in the league, a defeat on Saturday would reduce the margin over sixth-place Chelsea to four points and increase pressure on the club as the season reaches its closing stages.

Manchester United head to Stamford Bridge depleted for a key Premier League fixture after Harry Maguire was suspended. The situation worsened when Lisandro Martínez received a red card against Leeds United following a VAR review that highlighted a momentary pull on Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair during an aerial challenge. The contact was light but equates to a red card for violent conduct under the letter of the law. A violent conduct suspension would see Martínez ruled out for three games, with a possible appeal unlikely to be successful.

Michael Carrick called it “one of the worst” decisions he’s seen. “It’s not a pull, it’s not a tug, it’s not aggressive,” the interim manager fumed.

With Maguire and Martínez suspended and Matthijs de Ligt still sidelined with a back injury he has carried since December, United’s senior center-back options are limited. That leaves Leny Yoro, 20, and Ayden Heaven, 19, as the likely pairing. Both are fit, but their lack of experience is an obvious concern. Heaven has not started a match in any competition since Jan. 7, when United drew with Burnley, while Yoro has started regularly alongside Maguire during Martínez’s previous absence. The two have started together before only as part of a back three, never solely as a two-man partnership.

An alternative is to use Casemiro in a deeper defensive role. The veteran Brazilian finished the 2023–24 season playing in defense when injuries sidelined Maguire, Martínez and Raphaë Varane at various moments. He can adapt to that position, but moving him back would remove his influence from midfield and create a gap that United currently lack the depth to cover comfortably. Kobbie Mainoo missed the Leeds match with a minor injury and is a doubt for Chelsea, which would leave Manuel Ugarte as the only senior central midfielder available. Bruno Fernandes can operate as an No. 8, but his form as a more advanced No. 10 has been a key factor in United’s improved results.

The result at Stamford Bridge carries weight. United sit third on 55 points, seven clear of sixth-place Chelsea on 48. A win would stretch that lead to 10, while a defeat would cut the cushion back to four. Top five will be enough for Champions League qualification because of the Premier League securing a bonus European Performance Spot.

Manchester United’s reported interest in Andoni Iraola has been linked to a possible advantage in recruiting two Bournemouth players, Eli Junior Kroupi and Marcos Senesi. Sources suggest Iraola would be open to a move to Old Trafford, and his availability is framed as an opportunity if United decide to replace Michael Carrick, whose contract runs only until the end of the season.

The Daily Mail says United have been looking at both targets and have “consider” Kroupi and Senesi among their options. Senesi is due to become a free agent in the summer, which would allow potential suitors to sign him without a transfer fee. United have recently tied Harry Maguire down to a new contract to secure the center back for at least one more season, but the injury histories of Lisandro Martínez and Matthijs de Ligt leave space for further defensive reinforcements.

Kroupi, aged 19, is the standout attacking prospect. He scored his 10th Premier League goal of the season against Arsenal on Saturday, becoming the first teenager in more than two decades to reach double figures in a debut top-flight campaign. Opta data shows his 10 goals came from an expected goals total of 6.6. Only three Premier League players have out-performed the predictive model by a larger margin this season. That overperformance prompts caution: few young finishers maintain such conversion rates across multiple seasons. Kroupi’s chances-quality is encouraging, especially given his single previous top-flight experience came off the bench for Lorient in 2023–24.

There are stylistic considerations too. Iraola’s teams thrive on a high press and regain model and are less effective when they hold the ball for prolonged periods. Bournemouth have recorded 55% or more possession in 12 games across all competitions this season and won only one of those matches. By contrast, in 22 games with less than 55% possession they picked up nine wins. Those tendencies influence how Senesi and Kroupi operate and how they might adapt to the demands of Manchester United. Recent transfer history shows Bournemouth have sold five players for more than $55 million over two summers, with Antoine Semenyo cited as the only undisputed success among them.