Overview
- On Friday, Michael Carrick said Patrick Dorgu ‘‘can certainly play’’ at left-back and called the 21-year-old ‘‘almost like a new signing’’ after a long injury layoff.
- United did not recruit a specialist left-back this summer despite pursuing targets such as Lewis Hall, Alejandro Balde, Ian Maatsen and Rayan Ait-Nouri.
- Dorgu joined from Lecce for a reported £25 million in February 2025, missed large parts of last season with a hamstring injury and played on the right for Denmark where he scored over the summer.
- Carrick and club staff see Dorgu’s pace and attacking attributes as useful for the full-back role but he must improve his defensive marking to earn the job long term.
- In the short term United are likely to use experienced cover such as Noussair Mazraoui while Dorgu competes for minutes and the club evaluates recruitment needs next window.