Man Utd
United take 25-man squad to Ireland with Martínez and Dorgu stepping up recovery
Martínez and Dorgu join United’s 25-man Ireland camp as injury returns reshape midseason plan ahead
Manchester United have taken a 25-strong group to Ireland for an intensive midseason training camp that includes Lisandro Martínez and Patrick Dorgu as they progress through injury recoveries.
A Portugal international has played in every United game—starting most of them—since a minor injury-related absence in September. He misses out through illness, with veteran third-choice goalkeeper Tom Heaton also remaining in Manchester for the same reason.
Martínez, who missed most of the 2025 calendar year because of an ACL tear, had been sidelined since the 2–2 draw against West Ham United on Feb. 10 with a calf problem. Dorgu has been absent from the last eight Premier League matches after limping out of January’s win over Arsenal. The Denmark international has returned to training on grass and being part of this camp should see him take the next steps on his road to recovery.
Dorgu had been deployed in a more advanced wide forward role under the Carrick era, and scored in consecutive landmark wins over Manchester City and the Gunners. His hamstring injury in the latter was viewed as a significant blow given his form and the lack of a natural alternative on that side of the pitch.
Matthijs de Ligt, out with a back injury since the start of December, is missing. BBC Sport has reported the Dutchman is yet to resume “meaningful” training, which suggests his return is not that close.
Several members of the club’s under-21s are absent because the U21 side are competing in the Premier League International Cup, facing Real Madrid Castilla in Tuesday’s quarterfinal. That explains the omission of Jack Fletcher, Tyler Fletcher, Tyler Fredricson, Chido Obi and Shea Lacey. A handful of other academy players have been selected instead.
The simple answer is because they can. United’s calendar is unusually light this season: no European fixtures and early exits from the Carabao Cup and FA Cup have left the squad with a 40-game campaign, the shortest for the club since 1914–15.
United last played on Friday, March 20, drawing 2–2 with Bournemouth before an international break. Their next match is on Monday, April 13, against Leeds United at Old Trafford.
Man Utd
Fernandes Equals Ronaldo’s Man Utd POTM Record and Hunting Henry’s Assist Mark
Fernandes matched Ronaldo’s six PL Player of the Month awards and needs five assists in seven games.
Bruno Fernandes has drawn level with Cristiano Ronaldo as Manchester United’s most frequent Premier League Player of the Month winner after claiming the March 2026 award.
“It’s always good company to be in,” Fernandes told ManUtd.com in response to moving level with Ronaldo. “We know when his records are there, his name is going to be always around, so it’s quite common for anyone and everyone in the world of football.
“But it is obviously a huge honor and privilege for me to be close to him in this category.”
By winning a sixth, Fernandes moved ahead of Wayne Rooney, who won five. Paul Scholes and Marcus Rashford have four apiece, while Ruud van Nistelrooy won three. The draft of Player of the Month honours for Manchester United reads: Cristiano Ronaldo (6); Bruno Fernandes (6); Wayne Rooney (5); Paul Scholes (4); Marcus Rashford (4); Ruud van Nistelrooy (3).
The overall Premier League record for Player of the Month wins stands at seven, jointly held by Harry Kane, Sergio Agüero and Mohamed Salah. The Liverpool forward will soon be the last of that trio to leave the division and his current form does not suggest the record will be extended.
Fernandes is also chasing a longstanding single-season assist record. Thierry Henry set the mark at 20 in 2002–03, a total matched by Kevin De Bruyne in 2019–20. At this stage of 2025–26, Fernandes has 16 assists and seven games remaining; he needs five more to break the mark.
The underlying numbers underline the possibility. Fernandes has created 101 chances in the Premier League this season, 43 more than the next most creative player. Removing set pieces still leaves 66 chances from open play. He has nine of his 16 assists in the last 11 matches, and he has been utilised further forward under Michael Carrick than under former United manager Ruben Amorim.
Fernandes is contracted to Manchester United until the end of next season, with the option of another 12 months. He is already a four-time winner of Manchester United’s Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award.
Arsenal
Arsenal’s win over Sporting hands Premier League an extra Champions League place
Arsenal’s win over Sporting secures a fifth-place Champions League spot for the Premier League. 2026
Arsenal’s 1–0 victory over Sporting CP guaranteed that fifth place in the Premier League will qualify for next season’s Champions League. That single result removed uncertainty for clubs fighting to finish in the top five and will have been welcomed by rivals outside north London.
English clubs had dominated the Champions League group stage, with five of the top eight being Premier League teams. Even after a mass exit of English sides in the round of 16, the early autumn performance left the division with a strong coefficient lead for the season.
Heading into the quarterfinals, England needed only one draw from any of the five remaining clubs to secure the extra continental spot. Arsenal provided the required result with a nervy win over Sporting CP.
That confirmation comes at a key moment in the league table. Manchester United sit third on 55 points with a +13 goal difference while Aston Villa are fourth on 54 and Liverpool fifth on 49 with a +8 goal difference. Chelsea lie close behind on 48 with a +15 goal difference. The race could theoretically stretch down to Fulham in ninth as the final seven games play out.
Manchester United’s surge under Michael Carrick and Unai Emery’s steadier form at Aston Villa have reshaped expectations for the run-in. Even Everton’s manager David Moyes acknowledged the unexpected nature of his club’s position. “I’d love to say it was [a possibility] as I’m trying to be more positive than I would normally be,” Moyes mused last month, “but for Everton to even be in the mix for Europe is unbelievable, whether it is Conference League or Champions League.”
On the coefficient table, England lead with a coefficient average of 25.013, Spain are second on 20.281 and Germany third on 19.714. Spain are the only nation that can possibly overtake England this term, which means England’s extra Champions League place is secured for next season.
Several scenarios remain that could swell the number of English clubs in Europe, including domestic cup outcomes and European trophy winners from the Premier League, but Arsenal’s result erased the primary uncertainty about a fifth-placed Champions League berth.
Man Utd
Maguire Agrees One-Year United Contract and, Reportedly, Reduced Salary to Stay
Maguire signs one-year deal at United on reduced pay, turned down higher offers and will miss Leeds.
Harry Maguire has committed to a new one-year contract at Manchester United, with an option to extend for a further 12 months. Reports indicate the decision included a reduction in his weekly pay, a move that keeps the centre back at the club while the squad is adjusted elsewhere.
Michael Carrick has restored Maguire to his first-choice XI in a new-look back four, a system the player says suits him better. With United preparing to rebuild the midfield and aiming to add an extra forward, the club have opted to retain Maguire for at least one more season to reduce the immediate need for another defensive signing.
The Times report that the England international has accepted a new salary below his previous rate of $252,000 (£190,000) per week. In The National, renowned United coverer Andy Mitten adds that Maguire rejected higher wages from other clubs to accept United’s offer, which suits him from a sporting and personal perspective.
On the club website Maguire said: “Representing Manchester United is the ultimate honour. It is a responsibility that makes myself and my family proud every single day,”
He continued: “I am delighted to extend my journey at this incredible club to at least eight seasons and continue to play in front of our special supporters to create more amazing moments together.
“You can feel the ambition and potential of this exciting squad. The determination throughout the whole club to fight for major trophies is clear for everyone to see and I am confident that our best moments together remain ahead of us.”
United sit third in the table and are well placed in the race for Champions League qualification, holding a seven-point buffer ahead of Chelsea in sixth. Maguire will not feature to celebrate his new deal in the next fixture, a Monday evening meeting with Leeds United, after being sent off against Bournemouth before the international break.
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