Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has said defenders Luke Shaw and Carlos Baleba each have a half chance of being available for Saturday's Premier League trip to Fulham. The potential returns would provide a significant boost to a visiting side that Fulham will face at Craven Cottage.

Carrick delivered the update on Friday, describing the pair's status as not yet certain. "There's a kind of a chance on both of them, really," the United boss said. "Not totally 100% yet, but there's half a chance, yeah."

Shaw and Baleba's fitness battles

Luke Shaw, 31, has missed United's last three matches in all competitions with a thigh problem. The left-back started the opening three fixtures of the season, including the 2-2 draw with Everton where he provided an assist for Benjamin Sesko. He was substituted minutes before Ainsley Maitland-Niles scored Everton's late equaliser at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Carlos Baleba, 22, has been sidelined since suffering an ankle ligament injury soon after beginning pre-season training with his former club Brighton & Hove Albion. His last competitive appearance was against United on the final day of last season. He has been back in training this week and attended United's Carabao Cup tie against Brighton on Wednesday.

Other United absentees

Forward Amad remains further from a comeback after sustaining an ankle injury in the final week of pre-season. He has been out for nearly a month and was not called up by the Ivory Coast for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Carrick indicated his return is not imminent, saying, "Amad is not quite close, in terms of days, you know. We'll see as the week progresses."

Midfielder Manuel Ugarte is facing a much longer layoff after sustaining a knee ligament injury while playing for Uruguay at this summer's World Cup. He underwent surgery in mid-July and his potential return date is listed as 2027. Defender Matthijs de Ligt had lower back surgery this summer and is also targeting a return against Tottenham Hotspur on October 10.

Goalkeeper Tom Heaton is in the same group, having picked up a hamstring injury during a pre-season friendly against Paris Saint-Germain. He was replaced by Dermot Mee less than ten minutes into the second half of that match. Senne Lammens acted as backup to Karl Darlow for the midweek cup game.

Fulham's own situation

The news comes as Fulham prepare for a key home fixture, sitting 18th in the Premier League with just one point from their opening four matches. Their recent form shows two wins, one draw and two losses from their last five outings. They head into the game on the back of a 3-2 victory over West Ham, where goals from Rodrigo Muniz, Cesar Palacios Perez and Oscar Bobb secured the points. Joshua King, who provided an assist in that win, is the club's top scorer this season with two goals.

Marco Silva's side have their own injury concerns, with Kenny Tete, Tom Cairney and Ryan Sessegnon currently sidelined. The full squad list shows the depth available to cope with those absences. A positive result against United could provide a vital lift as they look to climb away from the relegation zone. Fans can check the full fixtures schedule to see what lies ahead after this weekend's match.

More detail at Manchester Evening News