Eight players could miss Man Utd vs Crystal Palace as Michael Carrick left 'disappointed'

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Manchester United have capitalised on the absence of European football this season, facing opponents dealing with a congested fixture schedule. United welcome Crystal Palace to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon (2pm kick-off).

Whilst Michael Carrick has enjoyed nearly a week to prepare his side, the Eagles were competing in UEFA Conference League action on Thursday night. The additional time should prove advantageous for United, with players afforded extra opportunity to recover from any potential knocks. It also grants those on the injury list further time to advance their rehabilitation.

The victory over Everton , however, did present one injury concern: defender Lisandro Martinez was absent from the match with a knock, and Carrick delivered the latest update.

Full-back Patrick Dorgu will also continue to be sidelined after sustaining an injury during the victory against Arsenal .

Speaking to MUTV, Carrick said: "Patrick is a little bit further down the line really, in terms of a number of weeks but he's progressing well.

“Licha is a lot closer than Patrick is. It will be a matter of days, hopefully, it won’t be too long. We’ll assess him over the next day or two, and see where he is."

Defender Matthijs de Ligt will be unavailable, though he is advancing towards a return. "Matthijs, he's had a back issue, which has been a little bit slower to progress, really," Carrick said.

"It's something we've been working through, and he's getting there. He's in the right direction, but, as I said, he's just a little bit further behind.

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"It's one of those things that's disappointing, but it's just a part of football, unfortunately, so we'll get him back when we can."

Joining them on the treatment table is midfielder Mason Mount , sidelined for the past four matches through injury. Carrick has confirmed he is edging 'closer' to a return, though the fixture against the Eagles may arrive too soon for the player.

There are also concerns surrounding defender Martinez, who sat out Monday night's clash with Everton due to a knock.

Oliver Glasner faces a comparable headache at Crystal Palace. Striker Jean-Phillipe Mateta remains on the mend from a knee injury, with Glasner hopeful of welcoming him back 'in the next two or three weeks'.

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Midfielder Jefferson Lerma is set to be sidelined for approximately three weeks with a hamstring problem sustained during the Premier League encounter against Burnley , just under a fortnight ago.

Striker Eddie Nketiah has suffered a setback in his recovery from injury, with Cheick Doucoure also set to miss out.

Palace were in action midweek as they saw off Bosnian outfit Zrinjski Mostar in the UEFA Conference League play-off, a match which saw defender Maxence Lacroix mark his return from an adductor injury with a goal.

"I don't know [if he can play twice in three days]," Glasner said during his pre-match press conference.

"Hopefully, the goal helps a little bit! He did very well. Right now, it looks OK, but let's see how the reaction is."